Banged-up Southeast Missouri State football team taps into freshman class

Seven freshman from first-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz's first recruiting class have played a considerable amount of time for the Redhawks this season.

Six defensive players and one wide receiver have been thrust into playing on Saturdays due to the various injuries Southeast players have suffered.

"I hope to never, ever, ever play this many. You shouldn't at a Division I institution," Matukewicz said following Tuesday's practice. "But I'm glad for them. I think it shows that we're able to recruit and then we're able to coach them up. ... It helps that we had most of those guys here this summer, and that helps them get physically ready to play."

Southeast defensive coordinator Bryce Saia knew before the season began that none of the defensive players would redshirt, but he didn't expect them to be playing nearly as much as they have.

Freshmen linebackers Hunter Bledsoe, Kendall Donnerson and Brad Ivey, safety Josh Kinzer, cornerback JJ Flye and nose tackle Joshua Wilson have all played this season but have seen more playing time due to injuries to defensive linemen Jon Slania and Selwyn Carrol and linebackers Chad Meredith and Roper Garrett. The latest injuries to the defense were suffered by linebacker Terrance Hill, who sustained a concussion against Tennessee Tech, and nose tackle Marlon Hampton, who went down with what appeared to be a knee injury during Tuesday's practice.

"It's going to help our program in time, but the situation we stepped into is that we didn't have any depth, so we knew we were going to have to play them, and then with all of the injuries piling up they're playing as much as all the seniors," Saia said. "It's a little tough for today, but we're here -- brick by brick -- to build a program, and it's really good for our future."

Freshman receiver Adrian Davis has played in all 10 games, but he became a more frequent target when standout junior receiver Paul McRoberts was sidelined with a foot fracture.

Davis, who has 21 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns on the season, will now help fill the void left by junior receiver Peter Lloyd, who broke his leg against Tennessee Tech and had surgery Saturday night following the game.

"We're excited about his ball skills, he's really fast, all those types of things," Matukewicz said. "We're just trying to get him to understand how to be a college receiver, but we're certainly pleased with him."

The remainder of the freshman class will redshirt, including quarterbacks Anthony Cooper and Griffin Pickler, Valle Catholic graduate and fullback Tyler Fallert, Central graduate Zach Stagner, Charleston graduate Demontrail Clark and Poplar Bluff graduates Logan Misner and Quentin and Nick Michel.

Saia said he's been impressed with how the freshmen have transitioned to playing at this level as the season has gone on but that it's obviously not the ideal situation.

"It's not fair [for them] in a way, to be honest with you. It's really not," Saia said. "If you're at a program that's established, like we're just at the baby stages of this regime, then really they're red-shirted or just special teams. It's really not fair to them, but they came here to play."

"When we get into spring ball they're not [veterans]," Saia said, "but they're going to feel like they're vets because they've already been through it -- the goods and the bads."