UTC’s spring optimism rises as continuity fuels three-way quarterback battle

Chattanooga’s spring looked and sounded like a program with its footing back. Instead of spending April patching holes left by the portal, the Mocs entered the showcase with 13 starters back across offense, defense and special teams, plus 32 players from last season’s two-deep. That level of retention gave UTC a far different feel than the spring before, when late departures forced the staff into emergency mode.

Head coach Rusty Wright said the difference showed up almost immediately. With the NCAA eliminating the spring transfer window and every full-time assistant from his staff returning, Chattanooga was able to install and develop much earlier, with fewer moving parts and far more clarity. What had been a rescue mission a year ago became a genuine evaluation period, and by April the Mocs were further along than they had been at the same point in 2025.

The biggest decision remained under center, where UTC entered the spring showcase with a three-man battle that should stretch into the summer. Redshirt junior Matthew Clemmer, New Mexico State transfer Parker Awad and redshirt sophomore Battle Alberson were all in the mix to lead the offense in 2026. Alberson already had the edge of game experience after starting Chattanooga’s final three games last season, while Awad brought a transfer option and Clemmer added another experienced contender to a competition that felt far more stable than chaotic.

That stability mattered beyond quarterback. Senior linebacker Zion Rutledge said the group was already ahead of where it had been a year ago, and Wright pointed to the team being together since January as a major reason why communication and chemistry had improved throughout the roster. In other words, Chattanooga’s spring was not about surviving attrition. It was about sorting out which pieces fit best in a system the players already knew.

Fans got their first public look at that progress at Saturday’s Spring Showcase, which moved from Finley Stadium to Scrappy Moore Field on the banks of the Tennessee River. Admission was free, and the program also pushed donations to Scrappy’s Cupboard, the campus resource that supports students facing food and personal-care insecurity. More than a scrimmage, the event served as a measure of whether UTC’s retention, continuity and calmer offseason could carry into a more competitive 2026 season.