The Concord University football team has begun spring practice with the 15-practice segment concluding April 21 with the annual Maroon-Gray Spring Game at Callaghan Stadium.
Throughout the spring, we will focus on each position and provide an in-depth preview. However, starting the previews will be an overall look at the spring roster for the Mountain Lions.
Concord returns 23 players that saw action in multiple games during the 2017 season.
Quarterback Adam Fulton started eight games during his true freshman season that included 10 touchdowns to go with nearly 1,200 passing yards. Joining Fulton in the backfield will be rising junior running back JaVaughan Burrus who accounted for over 400 yards of offense while splitting carries with graduated rushers Nick Loftin and Jamal Petty.
The top two receiver targets for the Mountain Lions are in spring camp. Rising junior Brandon Plyler caught 32 passes last season as well as three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Tywan Pearce made an impact during his freshman season with 23 receptions.
With the graduation of tight end Jordan Bryant, rising senior Mark Large becomes the most experienced player at tight end for the Mountain Lions. During the last two seasons, Large has also served as CU’s long snapper for all special teams.
The offensive line is anchored by Derek Dressler who will be entering his fourth season as a starter for Concord in the fall. Surrounding Dressler will be a pair of linemen who are coming off their first season as regular starters in Jack Skidmore and Nathan Toney.
Along the defensive line, Justin Noble, who will a starter for a third season in 2018, racked up three sacks to go with 45 total tackles during his junior season. He’s joined by Ryan Gatrell who transitioned from linebacker to defensive line during the spring last year.
Concord’s linebackers may be perhaps the most experienced position group during spring workouts. Rising senior Zach Malone is coming off back-to-back 100 tackles season from the middle linebacker spot. Former junior college transfer Andrew Jakubowsky racked up 52 tackles in his first season in the Maroon and Gray during the 2017 season. Rising junior Ty Walker added 34 tackles and three forced fumbles in nine games last season.
In the secondary, CU will have to replace All-American and four-time All-Mountain East Conference First Teamer Jeremiah Johnson, but the Mountain Lions bring back both starting safeties from a season ago in Ke’Shawn Hall and Jonathan Roebuck. Hall tallied 45 tackles, three pass break-ups and two forced fumbles last season. Meanwhile, Roebuck was responsible for two defensive touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2017.
Like the defensive backfield, Concord will have the fill the void left by All-American punter Garrett Lee as well as a top 10 all-time points scorer in Zack Keaton who were both part of CU’s
special teams success over the last four years. Sophomore Alec Yost will assume the kicking duties for the Mountain Lions this spring. Additionally, Pearce was a First Team All-MEC performer as a return specialist last season.
Also running with the linebackers during spring practice is Bryant Grubb (Pulaski), Alec Henderson (Christiansburg), Dillon Howie, Tyler Jones, Dwain Porterfield and Bennie White.
Grubb, Henderson, Porterfield and White all saw action last season. Henderson had seven tackles in six games while Porterfield had five tackles in four games. Grubb and White were both key contributors to the CU’s special teams units.
–Concord Athletics
