By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE – As the summer heat swelters on and the Tennessee Tech football team prepares to take to the Tucker Stadium turf to get ready for the 2023 campaign, honors continue to roll in for the Golden Eagles as Phil Steele/Draftscout.com announced its selections on Friday for its Big South-OVC Football Association All-Conference Team.
Tech claimed nine spots on the preseason team as punter Nick Bigelow was a first-team selection, wide receiver Metrius Fleming and offensive linemen Nate Hodnett and Trevor Stephens were on the second-team, defensive linemen Kail Dava and Hudson Tucker, as well as linebacker Jacquez McGowan were placed on the third-team, while wide receiver Willie Miller and tight end Hunter Barnhart were on the fourth-team lineup.
Bigelow, Dava, Hodnett and McGowan were honored earlier in the week as they were named to the Big South-OVC's preseason watch list at the joint conferences' media day on Tuesday in Nashville.
Bigelow averaged 39.5 yards per punt with a season-long 53-yarder, while also pinning 14 inside-the-20. He punted 46 times for 1,816 yards last season.
Fleming was the Golden Eagles' leading receiver in 2022, hauling in 31 catches for 404 yards with one touchdown reception. He averaged 13.0 yards per catch and 36.7 yards per game. Fleming also ran 11 times for 81 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. On kick returns, Fleming had eight returns for 130 yards – an average of 16.2 yards per return.
Hodnett and Stephens were two big pieces of a Tech offensive front that helped the Golden Eagles accumulate 4,331 yards of offense and 34 touchdowns, while protecting Tech's signal-callers with 14 sacks – the fewest allowed in the modern era (2000-present) and the third-fewest in the OVC this past season. Hodnett was a second-team All-OVC selection last season.
Dava, also a second-team All-OVC pick at the end of the year, recorded 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks with 5.5 tackles-for-loss and a fumble recovery to his credit. Tucker ended the season with 31 tackles, including eight for-loss for 33 yards, while also breaking up a pass and hurrying the quarterback seven times.
McGowan was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team after a strong freshman campaign with 59 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.
Miller caught 25 passes for 282 yards with three touchdowns, averaging 11.3 yards per catch. Barnhart ended the year with 243 yards and a score on 11 catches, averaging 22.1 yards per reception.
The Golden Eagles will hold their first practice of fall camp on Monday as Tech gets set for the start of the 2023 campaign on August 31 at Furman. The home slate for Tech opens on September 16.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech football are on sale now – call (931) 372-3940 to order.
Photo | Casey Gower, Casey's Photography
