CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Whether or not there will be a college football season this fall is still entirely up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been much speculation on what could ultimately be decided including such options as cancelling the entire season, playing a shortened schedule featuring only conference games and even a scenario where Week Zero starts on time.
Austin Peay head football coach Mark Hudspeth hasn’t heard any rumblings himself regarding an eventual decision and is still unsure on how it all will play out.
“Do I want the season to start on time? Yes,” Hudspeth said. “Do I think that there’s a really good chance it will be delayed? I do. I just don’t have a definite answer. The number one thing for me though is the health and safety of my players and if that means being delayed to keep our staff, support staff and country safe, then I’m all for that. Football is not the most important thing in the world.”
According to Hudspeth, there are both pros and cons when it comes to how the current recruiting process is having to be carried out during these unforeseen circumstances.
“Every morning from 8:30 to 9:30 our offensive and defensive staffs evaluate recruiting film,” Hudspeth said. “We’re getting about 15 players evaluated daily through Zoom. We can talk freely and have good conversation as we’re ranking these guys on our boards. We’ve gotten more recruiting done in the last four weeks than we would’ve done being on campus.
“Now we’re not going to get spring recruiting which honestly you hate that because you don’t get a chance to get out to the high schools, see the coaches and continue to develop those relationships. It doesn’t look like we’re going to get camps this summer either and that’s going to be a concern because you want to see the kids there in person and get a true height and weight on those guys.”
The loss of practice time and a spring game may be difficult for some teams to overcome. Many coaches entrust that their players are still putting in the necessary work at home, so a lack of conditioning will not be an issue when the season gets underway.
“Obviously we were disappointed because we really were geared up for a great spring,” Hudspeth said. “We just completed a very good seven-week offseason program. I think our players really grew a lot, developed a lot and the culture of our program was really where we wanted it to be. Spring ball is so big for the younger players and they’re not going to get that now. So, we’ll have to get them up to speed once we’re able to get the pads on in the fall and hopefully we’ll be able to get some more work in this summer.”
In order to ensure fan safety for this upcoming season, many have suggested the idea of having games played inside of empty stadiums.
“I really don’t think it would affect our team as much as maybe other teams just because I know that we have strong leadership coming back,” said Governor quarterback Jeremiah Oatsvall on the possibility. “The best teams are player-led teams and I believe we have one based on how many guys we’re getting back from last year’s championship team. At the end of the day, the fans don’t make plays. It’s us that make plays.”
Oatsvall suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 last year at home against Central Arkansas. Senior JaVaughn Craig then stepped in under center and helped lead the Governors to an OVC championship and the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs.
Oatsvall admitted that watching from the sidelines was difficult to comes to terms with at first, but believes he learned a lot from the experience and will be better because of it moving forward in his career.
“It taught me a whole lot,” Oatsvall said. “One, it taught me how to see things through a coach’s lens. Being able to be on the sideline, you start looking for a lot of different things that’s going to help the guy that is in. That was a cool football aspect of it. From a life aspect of it, I learned you can’t take anything for granted. I was really taught that last year, knowing that at any moment everything you’ve worked for can be taken away just like that. It for sure made me even more hungry for this upcoming year. It was tough during it, but I know that in the end it will help me in life, as a football player and as a man.”
On April 1, Austin Peay offered Oatsvall’s brother Elijah a football scholarship. Jeremiah described what it’s like for him to see his younger sibling garner attention from a number of different schools.
“It’s awesome,” Jeremiah said. “I’ve been able to see the work that he’s been putting in since he was a freshman in high school just dreaming about playing college football one day. My biggest advice to him would be to go somewhere that wants you for who you are as a player. I had a friend tell me don’t go to the school that’s the best, instead go somewhere that wants you and values you the most. I told him wherever that is, go there. It’s his choice and I don’t want to influence him one way or the other, I’m just here to give advice as a big brother and support him wherever he goes.”
Alabama native Kordell Jackson is accustomed to playing in the cold elements and said he would be unphased if games poured into late February and early March due to the schedule being pushed back.
“Honestly, the weather never bothers me,” Jackson said. “I’ve always just tried to block it out and play football.”
With the loss of key starters from the back end of last year’s defense in Trent Taylor and Juantarius Bryant, Jackson is eager to take on more of a leadership role as he gets set to enter his senior season.
“Our biggest motto is next man up,” Jackson said. “They do have some big-time shoes to fill, but at the same time I do feel like we have more than capable players who can stand up and do their jobs.”
Oatsvall is anxious to retake the field with his teammates once again and will have many weapons at his disposal if there is a season to be had in 2020-21.
“We lost one tight end from that whole class last year,” Oatsvall said. “Gorel Soumare is a guy that can stretch the field vertically, has a big body and really good hands. Baniko (Harley) is a guy that can do it all for you. He can get in the backfield, play quarterback and you can line him up at tight end some, as well at running back and receiver. Every time he gets the ball something special can happen. DeAngelo (Wilson) was obviously a top receiver in the country last year. He’s an unbelievable route runner and just has a knack for finding open windows. Then you got people like Jay Parker who got hurt in the same game I did last year who’s a speedy and quick receiver. It’s going to be a special room and there’s a lot of potential there.”
As it currently stands, Austin Peay is scheduled to open up their season Aug. 29 on the road against Central Arkansas.