By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin football team officially opened its preseason training camp in anticipation of the 2023 season opener on Thursday evening at Hardy Graham Stadium.
After winning back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championships in 2021 and 2022, the Skyhawks have assumed the role of the hunted rather than the hunter. While the OVC has merged with the Big South to make a football-only partnership, UT Martin has its sights set on claiming the inaugural Big South-OVC Football Association championship and the automatic NCAA playoff bid which comes with it.
While storms blew through the area on Thursday morning, the turf at Hardy M. Graham Stadium withstood the rains and welcomed the 2023 season to its gates. The Skyhawks held their first of 21 practices on Thursday evening with plenty of storylines to settle over the coming weeks.
Highlighted by a quarterback competition between Ole Miss transfer Kinkead Dent and Buffalo transfer Matt Myers, the Skyhawks are also looking to see who steps up to be the next set of all-conference playmakers on both sides of the ball. In total, the Skyhawks return over 70 players from last year’s championship squad while welcoming back nine starters – including four on offense and five on defense.
The Skyhawks will don their shoulder pads for the first time on Saturday evening before holding their first full-pads practice on Monday, Aug. 7.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information
