Loaded Bulldogs head into 2015 season

Chad Huff enters his second year as head football coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College having already built on the strong tradition in Perkinston.

His first team extended the MACJC record with an eighth straight trip to the postseason. Gulf Coast's eight-win season extended a streak of 128 straight weeks in the NJCAA poll, and the Bulldogs finished ranked seventh in the country, the ninth straight season they've finished in the top 10. There are six former Bulldogs on NFL rosters and 18 players on FBS rosters this fall, and this year's team starts the season ranked ninth in the NJCAA poll.

Since 2005, Gulf Coast has produced 30 NJCAA All-Americans and 25 players have earned NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards, including six last year. Gulf Coast has won two of the last five Halbrook Award for having the highest student-athlete graduation rate among Mississippi community college.

Huff made it two strong recruiting classes in a row in February, adding a crop of fresh talent to a strong sophomore class.

The season kicks off Thursday at Northeast Mississippi. The game starts at 6:30 p.m.

OFFENSE

The Bulldogs' offense has two capable quarterbacks fighting for the starting position. A.J. Erdely (6-3, 212 pounds) is a sophomore transferring from Middle Tennessee State, where he played in five games last year. Erdely compiled a 29-8 record as a starter in high school, throwing for 2,373 yards with 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions as a senior. Sophomore Tyler Allen (5-11, 180) lit up scoreboards at St. Stanislaus, where he threw for more than 4,200 yards with 49 touchdowns and was Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior.

The running back corps is led by returning starter Chris Robinson (5-9, 175), who led Gulf Coast with 733 yards rushing last year. Freshmen Andrew Hardrick (6-1, 205, Cottonwood, Ala.) and T'Rod Daniels (5-9, 180, Bassfield) will also get carries.

Swingman Tevaris McCormick (5-9, 175, Biloxi) ran for 465 yards and had 39 catches for 487 yards at wide receiver, scoring six touchdowns overall. He'll be joined in the wide receiver corps by Ishmel Morrow (6-0, 175, Ocean Springs), who returns after a shoulder injury kept him off the field following a 31-catch, three-touchdown freshman season. Jonathan Nance (6-2, 185, Gulfport) is transferring from Southern Miss after a redshirt year. Freshman Dylan Davis (6-3, 260, East Central) will play tight end after a first-team Class 5A All-State senior season.

A.J. Skinner (6-3, 320, Vancleave) returns after starting seven games for Gulf Coast last year on the offensive line. Fiante Weir (6-4, 280, St. Martin) and Malik Moore (6-1, 305, Stone) also return after having played in all 10 games last year. They'll be pushed for playing time by a talented freshman class, which includes D'Marcus Hayes (6-5, 330, Madison Central), Dominique Lowe (6-5, 285, East Marion), Kevin Haas (6-4, 280, St. Stanislaus), Rishard Cook (6-3, 350, Hattiesburg), Tyler Dickson (6-5, 370, Kossuth) and Randan Knight (6-1, 300, Oak Grove). Cook and Knight were First-Team Class 6A All-State players with Haas picking up second-team honors in Class 4A.

DEFENSE

Brandon Hill (6-6, 375, Memphis) makes the transition from the offensive line to nose tackle this season in the Bulldogs' three-man front. Chris Johnson (6-2, 265, Gulfport) had 25 tackles and a sack and will swing between end and the nose. Talented freshmen Isaiah Buggs (6-4, 260, Ruston, La.) and Carson Jordan (6-3, 270, Hancock) will play end, along with returning sophomore Joe Green (6-2, 240, Madison Central). Buggs was named First-Team All-State in Louisiana after racking up 102 tackles, six sacks and three forced fumbles, also making the second team in basketball. Marquan Thornton (6-1, 330, Cleveland, Miss.) and Jaylen Logan (6-2, 270, Moss Point) will play inside. Thornton was named First-Team All-State in Class 4A.

James Graves (6-0, 225, Bassfield) returns to anchor the linebacker corps in the middle. He had 45 tackles last year. He'll be joined by sophomores Romello Riley (6-3, 205, Ocean Springs) and Malcolm Conn (6-0, 200, Salem, Ala.). Riley was Second-Team All-State in Class 6A and played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game. Freshmen Rashad Moore (6-1, 230, D'Iberville), Justin Stewart (6-1, 225, Northeast Jones) and Reggio Dean (5-11, 220, Northeast Jones) should also contribute. Stewart was Second-Team All-State Class 4A and Dean ran for nearly 2,000 yards as a senior running back.

Safety Neiko Robinson (6-0, 180, Northview, Fla.) had 42 tackles with three for losses and broke up five passes last year. Alex Feazelle (6-4, 200, Hancock), another safety who had 10 tackles last year, also returns. They'll be joined by freshmen Cam Myers (6-0, 180, Oak Grove), Jay Jay Smith (6-0, 195, Gulfport), Josh Thurman (5-11, 185, Greenwood), Noble Watkins (6-0, 190, Hattiesburg) and Danzell Allen (6-0, 180, Franklin County). Myers was named First-Team All-State in Class 6A and played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game, while Smith earned second-team honors in Class 6A as did Thurman in Class 4A.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Two freshman players will be booting the ball around for Gulf Coast this year. Joshua Rowland (5-10, 175, Madison Central) will handle kicking duties, with Tyler Flathau (5-11, 180, Sacred Heart) bringing his 47.1-yard average to handle the punting. Flathau was named to the MaxPreps Small Schools First-Team All-American team and earned All-State honors in Class 1A. Long snapper Austin McIntosh (5-10, 180, D'Iberville) has a year's experience under his belt. Several skill players will compete for punt and kick return duties.