JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Bucs officially opened their spring practice window under sunny skies inside William B. Greene Jr. Stadium on Tuesday.
It marked the official start to the second season of the George Quarles era in Johnson City. He and his players were eager to hit the field following the struggles of last season. The Blue and Gold finished with a 3-8 record and won just one SoCon game in 2022.
“I think everybody is ready to get a bad taste out of their mouth,” Quarles said. “We’ve talked a lot about it, we’ve owned it. We wanted to be that team – we’re trying to prove a point, play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder.”
ETSU will be bolstered by the return of starting quarterback, Tyler Riddell and standout wide receiver, Will Huzzie. Both veterans entered their names in the transfer portal this offseason, before deciding to return to Johnson City.
“Unfinished business – definitely can’t end on a season like last year,” Riddell said. “There’s so much more [to accomplish] and we still have a bunch of great players here.”
Huzzie highlighted the relationship that exists between Riddell and himself and expressed just how excited he was to have the Tampa, Florida native throwing to him again.
He is also feeling a sense of comfort in the offensive playbook heading into another year with Quarles at the helm.
“I feel like just going back to the basics – going to … give us more understand, you know what I’m saying,” he said. “More comfortable and everyone knows what they’re doing. It’s a better understanding, so I’m pretty excited.”
The Bucs will hold 13 more official practices this spring, leading up to the Ballad Health Spring Game on Saturday, April 1.
