By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – A total of six University of Tennessee at Martin football standouts garnered Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selections while the team was projected to finish in fourth in the final standings by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors in conjunction with OVC Football Media Day.
The Skyhawk group includes four players on offense and two on offense. Joining the list are wide receivers Colton Dowell and Donnell Williams along with tight end Rodney Williams II and offensive lineman Matthan Hatchie. Representing the defensive unit is defensive back Jay Woods and safety Deven Sims.
Murray State was picked as the preseason favorite to win the league crown after totaling 64 points to finish just ahead of Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri, who tied for second-place with 60 points. UT Martin was tabbed fourth (38) and followed by Tennessee State (32), Tennessee Tech (28) and Eastern Illinois (12).
Austin Peay sophomore quarterback Draylen Ellis and Austin Peay senior nickelback Kordell Jackson were named the 2021 OVC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.
A native of Lebanon, Tenn., Dowell is a two-time All-OVC selection after tallying 78 receptions, 1,224 yards and eight touchdowns over the past two seasons. During the shortened spring campaign he ranked amongst OVC leaders in receptions (40, first), receiving yards (459, second), touchdowns (four, second), receptions per game (5.7, second) and receiving yards per game (65.6, third) while ranking 21st nationally in receiving touchdowns and receiving yards. While he tallied a season-high 105 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee Tech in the season-finale, arguably his most impactful game came against Southeast Missouri when he recorded a pair of receiving touchdowns.
Hailing from St. Louis, Mo., Donnell Williams posted a breakout season this spring for the Skyhawks. He tallied 29 receptions for 445 yards and three touchdowns en route to All-OVC second team honors. The receiver ranked amongst OVC leaders in receiving yards per game (74.2, second), receiving yards (445, fourth), receptions per game (4.88, fifth), receptions (29, seventh), touchdowns (three, seventh) and yards per catch (15.3, ninth). His best individual performance came against nationally ranked Jacksonville State when he hauled in a career-high 108 yards.
After missing much of the 2019 campaign with an injury, Memphis native Rodney Williams II spent last offseason transitioning from receiver to tight end and became not only one of the top players at the position in the OVC but the nation. The athletic playmaker tallied 30 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns en route to a pair of All-American honors. He ranked amongst OVC leaders in touchdowns (four, second), receptions (30, fifth), receptions per game (4.3, sixth), yards (327, eighth) and yards per game (46.7, 10th). His best game came against Eastern Illinois where he set career highs in receptions (eight), yards (95) and touchdowns (two).
A native of Haleiwa, Hawai’i, Hatchie wasted very little time making an impact for the Skyhawks in his debut season. The junior college transfer played and started in all seven games on the offensive line at center and the guard positions. He graded out at 84 percent or better in every contest and tallied 60 knockdowns while playing every offensive snap.
Woods also made a splash in his debut season for the Skyhawks in the spring by earning All-OVC first team honors. The defensive back tallied 23 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss while recovering a fumble against nationally ranked Jacksonville State. He led the OVC with nine pass breakups while ranking 22nd nationally in passes defended with 1.3 per game. The Pinson, Ala. native tallied a season-high six tackles in his Skyhawk debut against Murray State while posting a season-best four pass breakups in the comeback win over Austin Peay.
Hailing from Smyrna, Tenn., Sims posted a huge campaign in his first season as a full-time starter by leading the team with 60 total tackles – including 29 solo stops – while recording 5.0 tackles for loss. The hard-hitting safety also contributed four pass breakups and a forced fumble en route to All-OVC first team honors. He ranked amongst OVC leaders in forced fumbles (one, second), assisted tackles (31, third), total tackles (60, fourth), solo tackles (29, fourth) and tackles per game (8.6, fifth). While recording a pair of games with double-figure tackle totals, his best game came against nationally ranked Jacksonville State when he posted a career-high with 12 tackles – including 1.5 tackles for loss.
The 2021 season marks the 16th for head coach Jason Simpson who has 90 victories during his Skyhawk career, which is just two away from fifth place in OVC history. Overall Simpson is one of just 16 coaches in league history to coach 10 or more seasons at the same school. This season the Skyhawks return a plethora of talent on both sides of the ball with nine returning starters on both offense and defense.
UT Martin opens the season on Thursday, Sept. 2 when traveling to Football Bowl Subdivision foe Western Kentucky. The Skyhawks will then make their home debut at Hardy M. Graham Stadium for Family Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 11 against Samford.
Single game and season ticket packages are available to be purchased online at www.UTMSports.com/tickets, through the UT Martin Ticket Office by calling 731-881-7207 or by emailing athletic.events@utm.edu.
2021 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Football Team
(Selected by OVC Head Football Coaches and Communications Directors)
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Draylen Ellis (QB), Austin Peay
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kordell Jackson (NB), Austin Peay
OFFENSE
Pos. – Player, School, Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
QB – Preston Rice, Murray State, 6-2, 227, Sr., Waynesboro, Tenn.
QB – Draylen Ellis, Austin Peay, 6-1, 178, So., Olive Branch, Miss.
RB – Devon Starling, Tennessee State*, 6-0, 190, R-Fr., Antioch, Tenn.
RB – Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri*, 5-8, 209, Sr., Peoria, Ill.
FB – Benjamin Johnson, Tennessee State*, 6-2, 230, R-Jr., Lithonia, Ga.
WR – Zack Smith, Southeast Missouri*, 5-9, 200, Grad., Louisville, Ky.
WR – Colton Dowell, UT Martin*, 6-3, 215, R-Jr., Lebanon, Tenn.
WR – LaMartez Brooks, Murray State*, 6-1, 192, Sr., Milan, Tenn.
WR – Donnell Williams, UT Martin, 6-3, 205, Grad., St. Louis, Mo.
WR – Cam Wyche, Tennessee State, 6-0, 190, R-Jr., Douglasville, Ga.
WR – Jacob Bell, Murray State, 6-3, 177, Jr., Vero Beach, Fla.
TE – Rodney Williams II, UT Martin, 6-4, 235, Grad., Memphis, Tenn.
OL – Cam Durley, Tennessee State*, 6-6, 315, R-Sr., Houston, Texas
OL – Bucky Williams, Austin Peay*, 6-3, 290, Jr., Ringgold, Ga.
OL – Jaden Rosenthall, Southeast Missouri*, 6-2, 295, Sr., Grandview, Mo.
OL – Levi Nesler, Murray State*, 6-1, 318, Sr., Mayfield, Ky.
OL – Jacob Vance, Murray State*, 6-4, 328, R-Sr., Prospect, Ky.
OL – Shyron Rodgers, Southeast Missouri, 6-3, 290, Sr., Corinth, Miss.
OL – Matthan Hatchie, UT Martin, 6-2, 310, Jr., Haleiwa, Hawaii
OL – Colby McKee, Austin Peay, 6-5, 247, Sr., Georgetown, Ky.
OL – Seth Johnson, Austin Peay, 6-5, 308, Sr., Nesbit, Miss.
DEFENSE
Pos. – Player, School, Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
DT – Bryson Donnell, Southeast Missouri*, 6-1, 293, Sr., Antioch, Tenn.
DT – Davoan Hawkins, Tennessee State*, 6-3, 286, R-So., Hollywood, Fla.
DE – Chris Tucker, Tennessee Tech*, 6-2, 270, Grad., Jackson, Tenn.
DE – Ethan Edmondson, Murray State, 6-3, 246, Sr., Scottsboro, Ala.
OLB – Omardrick Douglas, Southeast Missouri, 6-3, 234, Grad., Louisville, Ky.
OLB – Scotty Humpich, Murray State*, 6-4, 252, Sr., Louisville, Ky.
OLB – James Green, Tennessee State, 6-1, 220, R-Jr., Orlando, Fla.
ILB – Eric Samuta, Murray State*, 5-10, 215, Sr., Glen Ellyn, Ill.
ILB – Jason Johnson, Eastern Illinois*, 6-2, 200, So., Matteson, Ill.
ILB – Jack McDonald, Austin Peay*, 6-0, 206, Sr., Brentwood, Tenn.
CB – Marcis Floyd, Murray State*, 5-10, 215, Sr., Glen Ellyn, Ill.
CB – Jay Woods, UT Martin*, 5-9, 185, Grad., Pinson, Ala.
S – Deven Sims, UT Martin*, 6-2, 200, R-Jr., Smyrna, Tenn.
S – Josh Reliford, Tennessee Tech, 5-10, 200, R-Jr., Fitzgerald, Ga.
S – Josh Green, Tennessee State, 6-0, 180, R-So., Orlando, Fla.
NB – Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay*, 5-9, 188, R-Sr., Birmingham, Ala.
SPECIALISTS
Pos. – Player, School, Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
K – Antonio Zita, Tennessee State*, 5-9, 170, Jr., Fayetteville, Tenn.
P – Zach Haynes, Southeast Missouri*, 6-1, 170, Jr., Potosi, Mo.
KR – Matt Judd, Eastern Illinois, 6-2, 185, R-Fr., Frankfort, Ill.
PR – Malik Honeycutt, Murray State*, 5-10, 177, R-Sr., Tallahassee, Fla.
* 2020-21 First-Team All-OVC
2021 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Order of Finish
- Murray State (7 first-place votes) – 64
- Austin Peay (4) – 60
Southeast Missouri (3) – 60
- UT Martin – 38
- Tennessee State – 32
- Tennessee Tech – 28
- Eastern Illinois – 12
OVC Notables
• Every current OVC team has been ranked in the Top 25 polls for at least one week over the past five years (2016-20).
- Last year three teams were ranked in the final Stats Perform Top 25, the first time since the 2013 season three OVC teams finished the season ranked in that poll.
- The OVC has placed multiple teams in the FCS Playoff s seven times in the past 11 years.
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OVC teams have 12 playoff wins since 2013, including five Quarterfinal appearances and one National Championship game appearance.
• Since 2013, the OVC has produced one Walter Payton Award Winner, two Buck Buchanan Award Winners, an Eddie Robinson Award Winner and a Deacon Jones Trophy winner. In addition, the league has had two Doris Robinson Award Winners, as the National Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
• In 7 of the past 11 years, an OVC team has defeated a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent.
• The OVC has produced at least one NFL Draft Pick in 10 of the past 14 years.
• In January 2020, OVC alum Jimmy Garoppolo became just the eighth former FCS quarterback to start a Super Bowl, doing so with the San Francisco 49ers. Last season 11 former OVC players were on active rosters at the end of the season.
• Former EIU quarterback Tony Romo was selected to the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class. He is the third former OVC player to be inducted (Jim Youngblood, George Floyd Jr.); in addition, there are also three former OVC coaches (Roy Kidd, Boots Donnelly, Frank Beamer) already enshrined.
• Over the previous 73 years, 15 of 18 teams that have competed have claimed at least one league championship.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information