’22’: Racer football, returning all starters, tabbed first in OVC

For the third time in school history, and the first time since Houston Nutt’s squad in 1996, Murray State football has been tabbed to finish first in the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference race — following Monday’s release of a preseason poll conducted by league coaches and sports information directors.

The departure of Jacksonville State University and Eastern Kentucky University for the Atlantic Sun has opened for a bit more parity in the OVC moving forward, but the Racers are coming off a 5-2 spring season in which they contended for an FCS playoff berth in those final weeks and built considerable credit with talent and moxie.

Close losses against Austin Peay on the road and the Gamecocks at home ultimately kept the Racers at home, but second-year coach Dean Hood — now in his third stint as an OVC skipper and/or assistant — uncannily returns all 22 starters from his 2021 spring team.

And of the 13 Racers who were named to the 2021 Spring All-OVC Team, a conference-best 10 of them have been named to the 2021 All-OVC Preseason Fall squad — including incumbent quarterback Preston Rice, a trio of wide receivers in LaMartez Brooks, Malik Honeycutt and Jacob Bell, two offensive linemen in former Graves County star Levi Nesler and Jacob Vance, and four defenders.

Undoubtedly, Hood and the Racers will be challenged this fall. Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri State are expected to contend for the title, as well, while UT Martin’s offense, Tennessee State’s complete coaching makeover (Eddie George/Hue Jackson), Tennessee Tech’s ability to push opposing defenses and Eastern Illinois’ continued improvements will all be storylines worth watching.

And that’s just the conference slate. MSU’s non-conference schedule includes non-affiliate matchups against SEMO and EIU, while games against Mississippi Valley State, Cincinnati and Bowling Green should test mettle.

“I think our guys understand it’s week-to-week, day-to-day,” the 2021 OVC Coach of the Year noted. “Our real goal is to just try to be the best version of ourselves. And we’ve got a lot of things to work on. Things that we need to improve upon every single day, and I think our guys understand that, and that’s where our focus is. Every single day, be the best version of us, and do the best job that we possibly can to prepare every single week. And have fun. That’s why we got into this thing. It’s because it was a whole-lotta-fun.”

’22’

It is extremely, extremely rare for a college team of any sport, men’s or women’s, to return all starters and maintain continuity — particularly with COVID-19 and a transfer portal almost resetting recruitment across the country.

And yet, Murray State football currently has this continuity in place.

It doesn’t mean the starters will remain the same throughout the season, but it does mean there are 22 guys who will have the premier opportunity and first ticket to build on what they started in the spring.

“I’m really proud of our kids, and humbled by the fact that we’ve got all those guys back,” Hood said. “With what’s going on with college football, we lost two guys to the portal, and one guy was a senior and had a job lined up and wanted to get going with his life. Not only do we have the starters back, but we have a lot of the backup guys back that are going to push the starters. And we have competition on our team everywhere.

“I’m very humbled by the fact that guys wanted to be here. We had a lot of success (in spring of 2021) because our guys played hard for each other. Offense has a bad series, and the defense says, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it. We’re going to get the ball back for you.’ And vice versa. Our guys fight hard for each other and care about each other. Really blessed that we’ve got a group of guys that all wanted to come back because they really like being around each other and they wanted to have another year of playing football together.”

Nesler on top

The former Graves County offensive lineman came to Murray State as a walk-on in 2017, with little original expectation to make an impact.

Four years later, Nesler is a key cog on a Racer offensive line that’s been ruthlessly effective at protecting the quarterback over the last 24 months — and in the spring suddenly found running lanes for guys like Damonta Witherspoon and Rodney Castille to easily gallop through for long, effective gashes.

Not bad for a guy out of the First District, which sometimes gets overshadowed on a team typically filled with talented out-of-staters, JUCO speedsters and redemptive transfers looking for more playing time.

“I’d say the main things…being a walk-on guy and being smaller and undersized is what people would say…let it go in one ear and out the other,” Nesler said. “You know who you are as a person. You know who you are as a player. But you’ve got to show up and be willing to work. Being a walk-on guy is going to take more work. Being an undersized, smaller guy is going to take more work. It’s going to be putting more hard work in. Find something that you’re really good at, and help bring that to the table. And the biggest is, when you have the opportunity, and your opportunity to present it…you have to take advantage of it. You have to step up to the plate. The pressure is going to be on, and you have to be willing to produce. I think that being able to produce, work hard and keeping your head down and doing the best you can every day…that’s the best you can ever do.”

To his left and right in the locker room, familiar teammates. In front of him and the rest of the Racers, a chance at unfinished business after missing out on a championship four months ago.

“The spring season was a great season…and it was a great learning experience,” Nesler said. “But we have to put that behind us. The fall is a whole different ballgame. Everybody is coming back. All the other teams have the same people, too. I think we just have to put that behind us. But we’re experienced, and we have a whole ‘nother year of the playbook underneath our belt on both sides of the ball. We’ve seen a lot of different things, and I think with an old group…more experience is what’s going to help us.”

2021 OVC Football Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
1. Murray State (7 first-place votes) – 64 points
2. Austin Peay (4) – 60 and Southeast Missouri (3) – 60
4. UT Martin – 38
5. Tennessee State – 32
6. Tennessee Tech – 28
7. Eastern Illinois – 12

2021 OVC Preseason Football Team

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Draylen Ellis (QB), Austin Peay
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kordell Jackson (NB), Austin Peay

OFFENSE

QB – Preston Rice, Murray State (1,294 passing yards, 9 passing, 6 rushing TDs)                                        
QB – Draylen Ellis, Austin Peay                                           
RB  – Devon Starling, Tennessee State
RB – Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri                    
FB – Benjamin Johnson, Tennessee State                           
WR – Zack Smith, Southeast Missouri                   
WR – Colton Dowell, UT Martin
WR – LaMartez Brooks, Murray State (37 catches, 429 yards, 2 TDs)                                                  
WR – Donnell Williams, UT Martin
WR – Cam Wyche, Tennessee State                    
WR – Jacob Bell, Murray State (21 catches, 305 yards, 1 TD)
TE – Rodney Williams II, UT Martin
OL – Cam Durley, Tennessee State
OL – Bucky Williams, Austin Peay                         
OL – Jaden Rosenthall, Southeast Missouri           
OL – Levi Nesler, Murray State                             
OL – Jacob Vance, Murray State
OL – Shyron Rodgers, Southeast Missouri
OL – Matthan Hatchie, UT Martin
OL – Colby McKee, Austin Peay                                          
OL – Seth Johnson, Austin Peay

DEFENSE

DT – Bryson Donnell, Southeast Missouri              
DT – Davoan Hawkins, Tennessee State
DE – Chris Tucker, Tennessee Tech                     
DE – Ethan Edmondson, Murray State (26 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks)                  
OLB – Omardrick Douglas, Southeast Missouri                     
OLB – Scotty Humpich, Murray State (24 tackles, 2.0 sacks)                    
OLB – James Green, Tennessee State
ILB – Eric Samuta, Murray State (64 tackles, 1 interception)                                          
ILB – Jason Johnson, Eastern Illinois
ILB – Jack McDonald, Austin Peay                                                      
CB – Marcis Floyd, Murray State (32 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles)
CB – Jay Woods, UT Martin                                  
S – Deven Sims, UT Martin
S – Josh Reliford, Tennessee Tech
S – Josh Green, Tennessee State
NB – Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay                       

SPECIALISTS

K – Antonio Zita, Tennessee State
P – Zach Haynes, Southeast Missouri                                  
KR – Matt Judd, Eastern Illinois
PR – Malik Honeycutt, Murray State (11.2 yards/return)