Under the Radar: Names to Know Ahead of 2024

With the season starting in just one more day, lets take a look at some under the radar names to know for the 2024 season, whether they be returners from last year’s roster looking to take the next step or true freshmen in their first fall of college football.

Five Returning Players You May Not Know

TJ Lane – RB

The unquestioned leader in the running back room going into the fall is Jamontez Woods, but who plays after that is much more up in the air. I think redshirt freshman TJ Lane is in a good position to pick up some of the slack from the departures of CJ Wilson and Jalen Bussey. During his freshman year he played in just three games, preserving a redshirt. That wasn’t surprising considering a potent trio of veteran backs in the room last fall, but Lane really made excellent use of the only extended action he saw. Against Shorter he got just a couple series later in the game but came away with 8 carries 58 yards and a TD, which made up almost all of his production for the season. Looking back to 2022, Lane was a massively productive prep from Middleburg. He finished the season among the leaders in the state for rushing yards, and brings a great blend of power and breakaway speed. Lane is someone I could see shoring up on the RB2 spot, but there is always competition lurking.

Juice Williams – DT

Williams is a massive interior defensive lineman who has played as a reserve and occasional starter at tackle for the last two seasons. He has the ideal size you look for on the defensive interior at 6’3” 310 pounds, and he has been good when he has been on the field. Last year he had 6 TFL and 23 total tackles playing in ten contests and the year before he finished with 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks. With some turnover on the DL Williams has a good chance to be a serious contributor once again at DT, with the potential to move into a starting role. Having started four games there last season, thats not too surprising, but the Argos are three deep or better everywhere on the line and they’re all going to get a chance to make some plays.

Zac Offord - WR

Zac Offord is of the longest tenured Argonauts on the roster, and this fall he has a good chance to carve out a major role, in what will be his 5th and final season in Pensacola. He has contributed to varying degrees in the three seasons since he took a redshirt for the 2020 season, which was cancelled due to COVID. He complied 5 receptions and 66 yards as a RS freshman, followed that up with 5 catches 47 yards and 2 scores in 2022, then had his biggest year to date in 2023. Offord finished 3rd on the team in receiving yards with 16 receptions for 237 yards, including a season best 68 yards in the playoff elimination game against Delta State. This year he has a lot of competition, but nobody who is really established, which has marked the rest of his time in Pensacola. Now instead of battling with star incumbent players like Karon Ashley, Rodney Coates, David Durden, and Caden Leggett, the WR room is wide open and Offord seems like someone who stands to benefit. He more than doubled his year 1 and year 2 yardage in year 3, so lets see what he can do with an even bigger opportunity this fall.

Walker Robinson – LB

Linebacker is a logjam of talent and experience, three LBs made my top 10 returning players list, and while certainly not an unknown, I couldn’t leave Robinson out. The local product from Fort Walton Beach was thrust into action as Will Breland and Kode Lowe both missed the season with injury, and Robinson embodied “man down, man up” in response. He was the second leading tackler last year (61 tackles 6 TFL 2 sacks), just behind senior All-Conference performer Gael Laurent. He showed some versatility in coverage and was all over the field in the run game. How the Junior fits into the rotation remains to be seen, but he is too talented to sit on the sideline. I’d safely project him as a key reserve for the middle of the defense and frequent rotator at both of the two inside LB spots.

Ja’Corey “Corey” Scott - WR

Returning wide receivers coach and new offensive coordinator Alvance Robinson has a wide open position group this fall, following the departures of John Jiles and Caden Leggett, and has been tasked with restocking the room with talent in addition to sheparding along who he already has in Pensacola. With no major contributors returning from last year’s roster, there is a tremendous opportunity for young players to step up and grab some playing time. That might just have been the chance that RS freshman Corey Scott needed to breakout. While he didn’t record any stats in the three appearances he made in 2023, Scott was a really intriguing high school prospect out of Episcopal in Jacksonville where he finished his career with 2429 yards and 22 TD over four years, including a 52 reception 1076 yard 10 TD senior year. By all accounts Scott has been a standout among the WR group in camp so far, earning public praise from coach Nobles as well as catching one of the two offensive TDs in the scrimmage on Fan Day. He’s got good size at 6’1”, but he’s a good enough route runner to play in the slot or outside. Based on the little we get out of camp, Scott is pushing hard for a spot on the field this fall.

Two True Freshman to Watch

Tyrell Marshall - CB

UWF has shown they’re willing to play young players if they’re ready. Last season the Argos found a freshman starter at safety in Donovan Barnes and never looked back. Now Barnes is poised to have a breakout year two as a returning starter. Marshall may not have the same opportunity that Barnes did in terms of available playing time, this defense brings back both starting corners and some talented guys who have been developing in the wings, but he has enough talent that he could end up making an impact this fall. The local product was a legit D1 prospect, and it was a bit of a coup to keep him home instead of heading to play in the MAC as originally thought. He’s highly disruptive in coverage and he has the kind of rangy athleticism that is a hallmark of big time defensive backs. Now that he is on campus, he’s got good a chance to work his way into the rotation at corner, especially if we see more nickel package this year.

Jabari Murphy - WR

You don’t often land high school prospects with documented SEC offers at the D2 level, but whatever the circumstances are UWF landed a steal in Jabari Murphy. A consensus 3* prospect out of small town Elmore County (AL), Murphy was a four year difference maker for the Panthers. He racked up up almost 3000 total yards on offense and 32 TDs, including 21 total TD in the last two seasons. As a senior he finished his career on a high note with 51 carries 359 yards and 5 TD on the ground and 37 receptions 486 yards and 5 TD receiving. Its no surprise that he eventually garnered offers from Ole Miss, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Arkansas, among others. Wide receiver is a position where you can break through with talent, even if in situational sub packages, and UWF has no returning significant production at the position, meaning a super like Murphy will have just about every shot to make it onto the field this year.