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TANNER, LION CUBS READY FOR DEBUT SEASON

Tennessee A&M head coach Phillip Tanner took an unusual route when building the first football team in school history. Tryouts.

"Honestly thought it was the best move," Tanner said with a chuckle. "It was the only way in my mind to make sure we had a roster full of guys that wanted to be here. Again, wanted to be here. Not because it's their only offer or we were the only ones to call. No. We need guys who want to be here, and the best way to find those is simply offering nothing but making history in return."

While it might seem strange to most, the turnout was in the hundreds, with 48 players making the final roster well below the 85 limit. This causes depth problems something that is not lost on Tanner.

"Valid point," Tanner said when asked about it. "The way I see it, we took the guys that we felt could give us the best chance to win. It's not different from high school, right? You have to make do with what you have. That's our task as we go through fall camp. Make sure we have the best 22 out of the 48 when the lights shine bright."

Expected to lead the ship offensively is former baseball walk on Travis Stevens at quarterback. The 6'2 225-pound freshman from Bedford, Ohio, won the job over Derek Randall, and junior college transfer Marvin Madsen who Tanner says shows some flashes of Saints quarterback Tayson Hill.

"Travis has the size you look for at the position," Tanner said. "As a former pitcher, he has the best arm on the team, and that ultimately won him the job. We still plan to get Derek involved as his speed brings a different element to the offense."

In what appeared to be a mainly one-back offense during the spring and so far through fall camp, expect the backfield of Ryan Reed, Brad Pressley, and Malik Foster to get plenty of looks. Hawaii native Jason Leonard at fullback is the best blocker of the bunch and should see time in passing situations as an extra blocker.

"No one has grabbed the bull by the horns," Tanner said about the backfield. "At this point, we are prepared to play them all until one separates themselves."

Tanner and offensive coordinator Mike Uremovich are excited about receiver Will Madison who is also a part of the Lions track team. The 6'4 215-pound Florida native is the fastest player on the team and has the rare look of a Division I player.

"Will is by far the best deep threat we have," Uremovich said. "It's my job to make sure we get him the ball as much as possible."

Two basketball walk on's Justin Wright, and Tyrone Mark at tight end provide two big red zone threats. Upfront, the line is anchored by Cedric Brown at right tackle.

"We go as the line goes," Tanner said. "We're counting on that unit to be the backbone of the offense."

Defensively, coordinator Matt Feeney is counting on a talented trio of linebackers to anchor his unit.

"We have a long, rangy unit," Feeney said. "We aren't the fastest, but we have sound players who know what their roles are."

Jeremy Ruffin and Darrell Rice man the outside spots while 237-pound junior college transfer Chris Hammond mans the middle. Upfront, coaches are excited about the end duo of Terence Rutledge and Darrius Collins. Both need to play a big role in rushing the passer.

In the secondary, 6'4 freshman corner Oliver Jackson leads the way. A reserve guard on the basketball team, he has quick hips and a great change of direction. Coaches think they have a good one in safety, TJ Nobles, who at 194-pounds is the strongest player on the team.

"We aren't a deep unit," Tanner said. "So, it's important we have long, sustained drives to keep them fresh."

Highly regarded freshman soccer player Travis Pugh handles the kicking duties. Tanner knows his team faces an uphill battle and is not set up for short-term success. However, he believes in his team and wants them to play hard for four quarters.

"If we do that, we have a chance to shock the world," Tanner said.