Carson-Newman Football Position Previews: The Offensive Line
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the sixth part in a nine-part series chronicling Carson-Newman football's positions for the 2025 season. This feature breaks down the Eagles' road graders with assistance from offensive line coach Joe Ray.
VIDEO: Coaches in Cars Getting Coffee – Joe Ray
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the sixth part in a nine-part series chronicling Carson-Newman football's positions for the 2025 season. This feature breaks down the Eagles' road graders with assistance from offensive line coach Joe Ray.
Carson-Newman has to replace three starters on the offensive line, but returns two who started all but one game last season.
Redshirt freshman Garrett Rice logged starts at every game at center, while Amil Savage was C-N's starting right guard for the final 11 games of the year.
"It's under center, triple option football," Ray said. "I think it's really, really cool because we've got a couple guys that have kind of been able to sit there and say, 'hey, we've played through a season.' They got a little bit more experience under their belt. Like a guy like Garrett Rice that played through the entire fall this past season. He brings a ton of experience to the table."
Rice started all 12 games for C-N at center. He helped clear the way for Jayden Sullins to rush for 1,200 yards and for the Eagles to lead the SAC in rushing with 265.8 yards per game. Carson-Newman was fourth nationally in rushing yardage.
"I just want to emphasize them understanding their job and then trying to build on top of that too," Ray said. "Garrett - whenever we first installed his offense he struggled on the front end. But then you saw him take a turning point throughout this past season. Going into the spring, I'd ask him very, very specific questions - higher level questions. Just to get him to the point where he's able to understand and spit that answer out to me and why it's been really cool for him to be able to develop in that standpoint."
Ray pointed to tackle Henry Bertucci as a player who has taken a step up. Bertucci appeared in nine games last season as a reserve.
"Seeing Henry Bertucci go into this past spring and watching those 15 practices of how much better he was able to become and develop," Ray said. "It's been great to even see him add to that throughout this fall camp as well, too. He should do some really good things for us. He's definitely a guy we can count on along with many others."
The line still has youth to it. Case in point, Jay'Den Williams, who retained a redshirt season after appearing in a pair of games last season.
"He got his feet wet a little bit, which was great," Ray said. "He's got acclimated to what we're trying to get done interior wise on the line. His brother is actually part of the freshman class. So his brother actually is here with him too. So that's been really cool to have two brothers in the same room, especially to put a little pressure on Jay'Den Williams."
The room adds experience in a rare transfer. Mason Carnell becomes the third offensive lineman to transfer in over the last seven years. Carnell appeared in 20 career games for Winona State.
"He's got a little bit of experience under his belt as well too, but he's a little bit of a older guy," Ray said. "This is his second school. He's seen things in one place and knows the amount of potential we have here. I think that just kind of enhances everything that we're trying to get done overall."
Carson-Newman can count on Blake Shinault, Dayton Jernigan, Curtis Magwood and Lewis Baker for depth.
Carson-Newman football's position previews continue Tuesday with the corners.
