Blinn kicks off the 2021 season Saturday, hosting the Southern Shreveport Jaguars at a 7 p.m. at Brenham’s Cub Stadium in what will be the Buccaneers’ only tune-up before they begin a grueling conference schedule. The Buccaneers’ schedule last season was shifted to the spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were just really so fortunate to be able to play, to be on the field,” coach Ryan Mahon said. “We’re excited about this year. It’s ‘new,’ but it’s old hat. It’s a fall football season. I’m really excited to just get back to normal. Last year is no indication of what this year is going to be.”
This year’s edition of the Bucs will have a blend of returning players and talented newcomers, said Mahon, who is entering his sixth season as head coach.
Terrance Gipson, a transfer from Southern Methodist University who redshirted last season, will start at quarterback with returner Logan McDougald also seeing action.
The rest of the backfield is stacked, including returning running backs Terrance Keys, Brendon Holmes, and Josh Berry. Freshman Josh Mazyck will add depth at the running back position.
“Both (Keys and Berry) played a significant amount of snaps for us last year, so we’re excited about that,” Mahon said.
In the receiving mix are returners Taurean Muhammad and Jackson Mueller and what Mahon called “a really good group of freshmen” that includes redshirt freshman Qunitavius Workman (a transfer from the University of Texas-El Paso), Cam Richardson, and Tre Harden.
Mahon said Blinn’s offensive line “is probably our strength.”
“We’ve got five guys returning who have played for us and started in some capacity,” he said.
Those include Tristen Hickman, Andrundel Briggs, Xavier Luehr, Trent Pullen, and Juan Quezada. That group will be bolstered by brothers Andrew and Eric Brown.
Returning defensive linemen Will Pendergast and Bryton Thompson “are team leaders who have had great camps,” Mahon said.
Mahon said he expects Blinn’s secondary to also be a strength with newcomers La’Darius Henry (a University of Florida transfer) and Trystin Brown leading that group.
Some decisions are still to be made at linebacker, although returner Joshua Payne-Morgan is expected to be a mainstay at that position.
“We’re talented, but we just need to see who’s willing to step up,” Mahon said. “The conference is strong. It’s the best (junior college) conference in the nation. Every week we have to out there and compete.”
Blinn’s conference schedule starts Saturday, Sept. 11, with a home game against Kilgore College. That game will be at 7 p.m. at Cub Stadium in Brenham.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
