By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The countdown is on as the Tennessee Tech football team gets ready for its first game of the season – exactly a month from Monday. But if the first practice of the season was any indication, the Golden Eagles are looking to make some noise this season in the inaugural Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association race.
The energy was high, the players were excited and it showed on the Tucker Stadium turf as the Golden Eagles went through drills with no pads – those will come in later days – and held its first session of Fall Camp.
With a vast majority of the team working through the summer through individual workouts before the official camp sessions started on Monday, the squad was ready to go and looked ready to fine tune as they work toward the team's season opener against Furman on August 31.
The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the preseason Big South-OVC poll and had four players on the joint conference preseason watch list with punter Nick Bigelow, defensive lineman Kail Dava, offensive lineman Nate Hodnett and linebacker Jacquez McGowan earning spots on the list. The selections were extended on the Phil Steele/Draftscout.com projections last Friday as the previous were included, while tight end Hunter Barnhart, wide receivers Metrius Fleming and Willie Miller, offensive lineman Trevor Stephens and defensive lineman Hudson Tucker were also picked to its all-conference lineup.
The Golden Eagles are looking to rebound from a 4-7 campaign in 2022 and a tied-for-third spot in the Ohio Valley. Tech won three of the last four and was just a play away in the overtime loss at Kennesaw State and the finale against North Carolina State from winning its last five games of the season.
While there are some valuable pieces gone from last year's squad – including linebacker Seth Carlisle, top rusher David Gist, quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall and defensive back Josh Reliford -- the Golden Eagles bring in 35 newcomers to the roster and retain seven starters on both sides of the ball.
Fans will get opportunities to see the Golden Eagles in action on the field before the season begins with a pair of intrasquad scrimmages, including 10 a.m. on August 12 as well as the annual Gathering of Eagles on August 19 with that scrimmage session starting at 5 p.m. More details on those scrimmages and the events that surround them will be announced soon.
After Tech opens the season on the road at Furman at the end of the month, the Golden Eagles will head to Football Bowl Subdivision opponent New Mexico in week two, before coming home for Legends Weekend on Sept. 16 to take on North Alabama.
Season tickets are now on sale – call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or order online at TTUsports.com.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
