SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The battle for starting quarterback might be front and center for Savannah State University, but several skirmishes at other positions dot the football practice field at Theodore A. Wright Stadium as well.
Just one week before the Tigers' Aug. 30 season-opener with Alabama-Birmingham, head coach Erik Raeburn said several members of his strong 2018 recruiting class will see playing time.
"Maybe there aren't as many starters as we had last season but we have a bunch of guys who will rotate in there to give the starters a breather and play on special teams," Raeburn said.
Saturday's scrimmage provided a sample of freshmen contributions. Running back D'Angelo Durham led the squad with 73 rushing yards, and outside linebacker Chris Smith had a team-leading six tackles with a sack and two tackles for losses to pace the defense and late signee, quarterback Craig Grant, threw for 142 yards and two scores.
Durham won't unseat incumbent starter Jaylen McCloud, who led the running backs with 387 rushing yards a year ago, but will be in the rotation with CJ Cole and Rashad Saxton.
Smith sits behind preseason All-MEAC performer Stefen Banks and Christian Guinn, but has impressed the staff with his speed and aggressiveness.
And Grant will be behind TJ Bell and D'Vonn Gibbons, but the Tigers know first-hand you can never have too many quarterbacks.
Raeburn sees freshmen Rod Evans and Treveyon Pratt strengthening a stable of wide receivers that include Czar Beneby, JaMichael Baldwin, Ronnie Stevens, D'Andre Snead, James Kicklighter and Elijah Shah.
The Tigers' top three wide receivers finished their eligibility last season so there's plenty of catches to go around for a team that runs a spread attack.
"We'll play a lot of guys there," Raeburn said. "It's hard to just play two or three guys anyway because they run so much and we don't have two or three guys who are head and shoulder above the others."
Evan McGhee and Walter Yates provides versatility to the linebackers. McGhee can be moved around the front seven, and Yates played strong safety in high school at Gulf Breeze, Fla.
In the secondary, D'Armani Ridley will be the first safety in if starters Donald Rutledge or Isaiah Bennett have to come out. Nick Garner is another safety vying for time.
Cornerback Ny'Em Bozeman has had a good camp, showing his wares while forcing a fumble and recovering the loose ball during the scrimmage.
Raeburn said tackle Tahmaj Faust and guard/center Logan Kesler will be backups on the offensive line, and Michael Police, Fred Raynes and Stephen Vourilvee-Greaves should see snaps on the defensive line.
Christin "Zaine" Burton and Timothy Campbell will bolster the linebackers.
Players returning from injuries could also give the Tigers a boost. Senior linebacker Mulik Simmons missed the entire 2017 season after an injury during camp last year.
Simmons, the Tigers' leading returning tackler from 2016 (73 tackles), was a preseason second-team All-Conference pick in 2017 before the injury.
And at quarterback, Bell, who shared the starting job in 2016, is returning from a broken leg that kept him out of all but two games in 2017.
Thrust into action, Gibbons threw for 1,259 yards and 10 TDs and led SSU to three wins during the final four games last season.
"Right now, they'd both play (in the season opener)," Raeburn said. "They've been pretty even in camp and I don't foresee between now and UAB one guy being way better and playing the whole game. Having two guys you feel are even gives us a little depth there."
SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
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