UTM’s football program has been significantly revamped since the Skyhawks’ disappointing 2-9 record in the 2018 season.
Since then, the Skyhawks have turned their fortunes around with solid coaching and key players stepping up, with punt return specialist and All-American Terry Williams and breakout freshman quarterback John Bachus III standing out particularly in 2019. An effective offense, complemented by a strong defense, helped the team go 6-2 in conference play in 2019, narrowly losing out on the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) title to Austin Peay.
Now, the Skyhawks have signed a top-tier class of recruits that ranks 14th in the nation at the Football Championship Subdivision in Divison-I football. UTM’s signing class is good for second-best in the OVC, trailing only No. 11 ranked Tennessee State.
UTM signed 14 defensive players, including four defensive linemen, three linebackers and seven defensive backs. On the offensive side of the ball, the Skyhawks brought in 11 players, including five offensive linemen, two quarterbacks, one tight end, two wide receivers and one running back.
Florida was UTM’s focal point of recruiting, as 14 of the 25 signees came from the Sunshine State. UTM hit their home state next, with four players coming out of Tennessee. Alabama and Georgia both had four signees each, and Hawaii, Mississippi and Missouri all providing one player each.
“It is always satisfying when you see a group come together,” head coach Jason Simpson said, according to Sports Information. “There were guys that we identified, were able recruit for a year and really build a bond with. It is fun to see all of that hard work come to fruition on National Signing Day. Then we were certainly opportunistic to snag a couple FBS-caliber players late that slipped through the cracks whom we look to do great things for us in the future.”
More information on UTM’s signing class, including individual players and some of their highlight reels, can be found on Sports Information’s website. The top-50 list of for FBS schools can be found on HeroSports.com.
Photo Credit / UTM Sports
