The UAB Blazers experienced their fair share of trials and tribulations during the 2023 college football season. And it wasn’t just the fact that they entered a new conference (AAC).
It was an initiation of sorts for head coach Trent Dilfer after jumping into the college coaching ranks straight from high school. After carrying a 44-10 record at Lipscomb Academy (TN) into the start of his tenure in Birmingham, Ala., the Blazers ultimately lost twice as many games as they won last season.
Dilfer was not the only one learning on the job, as both offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen and defensive coordinator Sione Ta’ufo’ou were calling plays at an FBS school for the very first time. With a year of growing pains under their belt, here are UAB’s top 10 returning players in 2024 who will look to bring the Blazers back to competing for conference championships.
UAB Blazers Top 10 Returning Players in 2024
Analyzing the returning players at every school is a difficult task in the transfer portal era. As such, we’ve included transfer-portal athletes that were included on each team’s roster page to open fall camp in addition to the rostered players from last year.
10) Kendall Johnson, DE
After three seasons at Tennessee State, Kendall Johnson appeared in all 12 games last season for UAB, recording 15 stops along with two sacks and a pick-six against FAU. Johnson has the rare combination of pure size (6’5″ and 260 pounds) and speed that perks the ears of scouts who wonder what the product can look like if taught technique and discipline.
9) Bryce Damous, TE
When you include Dallas Payne, the Blazers return a pair of redshirt seniors who form a reliable TE room. Bryce Damous has been the starter since 2022 when he led the position with 14 receptions, 163 yards (54 of which came against LSU), and a score.
In 2023, he upped the ante, taking 24 passes for 242 yards and three scores, including TDs against Georgia and Memphis.
8) Kevin Penn, DT
Kevin Penn’s journey to a starting role at UAB took three years, but his breakout in 2023 proved the wait was well worth it. He emerged as a reliable tackler for the Blazers, totaling 43 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and four sacks on the season. His size and strength, combined with his ability to bring down ball carriers consistently, have made him a crucial component of UAB’s defensive line.
7) Colby Dempsey, CB
Colby Dempsey appeared in all 12 games, including seven starts at cornerback last season. He recorded 37 tackles, along with nine pass breakups and one interception which came in the season finale against North Texas. He is expected to take on more of a leadership role on the team, especially a secondary which will feature several new faces.
6) Lee Beebe Jr., RB
Lee Beebe Jr. closed out last season on a tear and now leads a small but talented running back group. The 5’10” and 215-pound Beebe was the third option to open 2023 but ascended the depth chart after injuries within the position group piled up.
He earned 391 of his 458 scrimmage yards in the second half of the season. He had a career-high 101 yards with two scores on just seven touches in the season finale against North Texas, including a career-long 66-yard touchdown.
5) Michael Moore, LB
Michael Moore was one of the team’s top defensive players when healthy last season as he racked up a team-best 62 tackles through the first 10 games but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in early November. He has the ability to generate pressure (5.5 TFLs and a sack) from the linebacker position, but he has the versatility to play inside when called upon, which he did depending on the situation in 2023.
READ MORE: AAC Strength of Schedule
4) Chris Bracy, S
Chris Bracy appeared in 11 games during his freshman season, recording 17 tackles and an interception. He was a sought-after recruit with SEC offers but chose to stay close to his hometown of Mobile, Ala. He was a bright spot in the Blazers’ spring game as he recorded both a sack and interception of quarterback Jacob Zeno — something the coaching staff would love to see more of as Bracy enters his sophomore season.
3) Amare Thomas, WR
Speaking of entering their sophomore year, Amare Thomas is doing that after setting the UAB freshman receptions record with 53 catches last season. At 6’0″ and 205 pounds, Thomas has the physical traits to play at the next level, which we all saw when he had a season-best nine receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown against No. 1 Georgia in September.
2) Jacob Zeno, QB
If college football success begins with a good quarterback, UAB has just that. Jacob Zeno had the most prolific single season for a quarterback in program history, including ranking second behind only Oregon’s Bo Nix in completion percentage (73.6%). His 3,126 passing yards trailed only Darrell Hackney’s total in 2005 (3,180) for the highest single-season total ever by a Blazers signal caller.
Zeno should have an improved offensive line in 2024, which should only power another solid offensive performance.
1) Brady Wilson, C
Brady Wilson’s reliability at UAB makes him one of the AAC’s top interior offensive linemen. He excels in pass protection and run blocking from the center spot in addition to having the mental acumen to manage complex defensive fronts from the pivot.
UAB’s top returning offensive lineman with 19 career starts under his belt, Wilson was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List for a second straight campaign, which is annually presented to the nation’s top center.
In 2022, he helped pave the way for record-setting running back DeWayne McBride, who led the nation in rushing. Then, in 2023, as UAB pivoted to a more pass-centric offense under Dilfer, Wilson proved to be a stalwart in pass protection en route to a single-season school record of 450.0 yards per game.
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