Draft Scout Mercer Player News, College Football: Mercer

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Mercer

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08/04/22 - John Thomas, Sr/2023, Mercer + More +

2022 PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM (COACHES): OL John Thomas, Jr., Mercer,...Thomas, a junior offensive lineman, helped open up holes for the Bears' running game in 2021 when they rushed for 2,092 yards. The Mercer rushing attack's 2,092 yards on the ground ranked 12th nationally and third in the league last year. - Mercer Football

Sr/2023

OG John Thomas, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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08/04/22 - Isaac Dowling, Sr/2025, Mercer + More +

2022 PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM (COACHES): LB Isaac Dowling, So., Mercer,...Dowling, a sophomore linebacker, made 25 solo stops in all 10 starts a season ago. In addition to his 25 stops, he assisted on 48 others - including 13 in the season finale against ETSU. The Snellville, Georgia, product made 7.5 tackles for loss and notched a touchdown from a fumble in the home win over Wofford. - Mercer Football

Sr/2025

ILB Isaac Dowling, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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08/04/22 - Solomon Zubairu, Sr/2023, Mercer + More +

2022 PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM (COACHES): DL Solomon Zubairu, Jr., Mercer,...A First Team All-SoCon Defensive selection a season ago, Zubairu tallied 34 tackles and made 5.0 sacks in 2021. The senior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, paced the Bears for the second consecutive season with 5.5. He forced a fumble in the final home win over Chattanooga in mid-November. - Mercer Football

Sr/2023

DE Solomon Zubairu, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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08/04/22 - Ty James, Sr/2024, Mercer + More +

2022 PRESEASON ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM (COACHES): WR Ty James, R-So., Mercer,...The Bears' leader in receptions - Ty James - set three school records in 2021: yards in a game, receiving touchdowns in a game and receiving touchdowns in a season. A starter in every game, the Conyers, Georgia, product hauled in 26 receptions, 611 receiving yards and scoring seven times. His 64.8 yards per game placed him sixth in the league for the category. - Mercer Football

Sr/2024

WR Ty James, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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12/12/21 - Chris Hill, rSr/2025, Mercer + More +

2021 ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM (COACHES): DL Chris Hill, R-Fr., Mercer,... Hill gave offensives lines issues all season. The Statesboro, Georgia native had 4.5 tackles for loss that accumulated 19 yards. He boasted three sacks on the season, 12th most in the Southern Conference. In total, Hill had 20 tackles on the year, with 13 of those being solo tackles. He is also credited with a fumble recovery. - Mercer Football

rSr/2025

DT Chris Hill, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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12/12/21 - Lance Wise, Sr/2023, Mercer + More +

2021 ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM (COACHES): DB Lance Wise, So., Mercer,...Wise proved to be a player that opposing offenses constantly had to know the location of on the field. Wise had the tremendous ability to make big plays in all facets of the game. The Marietta, Georgia native finished the season with 59 tackles to rank 14th in the conference, including a team high of 33 solo stops. He recorded double digit tackles in a pair of games, including a season high of 13 in the SoCon championship matchup with ETSU. Wise solidified himself as one of the best ball hawks in the SoCon, intercepting three passes on the season, one of which he returned 34 yards for a touchdown against the Citadel and another that he returned 56 yards to the one-yard line against Western Carolina. He also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble this season. Wise was named SoCon player of the week twice this year. - Mercer Football

Sr/2023

FS Lance Wise, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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12/12/21 - Solomon Zubairu, Sr/2023, Mercer + More +

2021 ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM (COACHES): DL Solomon Zubairu, So., Mercer,...Zubairu wreaked havoc on opposing offenses and was one of the best players in the Southern Conference at generating sacks. The Lawrenceville, Georgia native was fifth in the conference with five sacks on the season. Zubairu totaled 34 tackles on the season, including 5.5 tackles for loss and a team high of five quarterback hurries. - Mercer Football

Sr/2023

DE Solomon Zubairu, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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12/12/21 - Jason Poe, rSr/2022, Mercer + More +

2021 ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM (COACHES): OL Jason Poe, Gr., Mercer,...Mercer Football saw seven student-athletes earn ten Southern Conference football postseason honors as the league office released its annual awards and coaches/media all-conference teams. Three Bears earned first team honors from both the coaches and media. Lance Wise, Solomon Zubairu, and Jason Poe all received first team accolades. Poe was a key member of the Bears' offensive that that opened lanes for the third-best rushing offense in the Southern Conference. Mercer's offense amassed 2,092 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns this season, averaging 209.2 yards per game. - Mercer Football

rSr/2022

OG Jason Poe, Mercer
News Source: Mercer Football
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11/13/21 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Fred Payton connected with Drake Starks for Mercer's only touchdown and the Bears' defense made it stand up in a 10-6 victory over Chattanooga on Saturday. Payton threw 4 yards to Starks for a touchdown late in the second quarter for a 7-6 Mercer lead and Devin Folser added a 38-yard field goal late in the fourth as Mercer (7-2, 6-1 Southern Conference) remained tied for first place with East Tennessee State. Chattanooga (6-4, 5-2) fell out of the first place tie, managing one touchdown - Ailym Ford's 10-yard run - and blowing several scoring opportunities. Aaron Sears missed the PAT after Ford's touchdown and also missed field goal tries of 41 and 22 yards. The Mocs' Ty Boeck returned an interception 85 yards to give Chattanooga the ball at Mercer's 10-yard line but the Bears held on defense and Sears missed the 22-yard try late in the third quarter. In the fourth, Mercer's Lance Wise picked off a pass and Ken Standley recovered a fumble to preserve the Bears' lead. - AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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10/30/21 - Fred Davis, rSo/2025, Mercer + More +

Fred Davis had two touchdown runs and Mercer beat The Citadel 34-7 on Saturday. Mercer (6-2, 5-1 Southern Conference) has won two in a row since losing to VMI 45-7 and remains tied with Chattanooga atop the conference standings. Davis carried the ball 15 times for 88 yards. He scored from the 1 on back-to-back series to end the second quarter, giving the Bears a 21-7 halftime lead. Lance Wise had a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Tayshaun Shipp broke loose on a 72-yard TD run, each late in the fourth quarter for the Bears. Jaylan Adams tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Cherry in the first quarter for The Citadel (2-6, 1-4), which committed three turnovers. Cherry finished with five catches for 82 yards. - AP College Football

rSo/2025

RB Fred Davis, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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10/24/21 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Fred Payton passed for 357 yards, Mercer added another 210 yards on the ground, and the Bears defeated Wofford 45-14 on Saturday night. Payton completed 19 of 27 passes with two of his three TDs going to Ty James, who had 153 yards on five receptions. Fred Davis led on the ground with 91 yards and Al Wooten II added 79 yards for the Bears (5-2, 3-1 Southern Conference), who totaled 567 yards.

Wofford (1-6, 0-4) managed just 176 yards of total offense, with Bryce Corriston completing 8 of 17 passes for 58 yards. Still, the score was tied at 14 in the second quarter after the Terriers' Joe Beckett returned a fumble 55 yards for a touchdown. Mercer responded with a fumble recovery in the end zone by Isaac Dowling and a short field goal by Devin Folsor for a 24-14 halftime lead. In the second half, Payton threw two touchdown passes and Wooten added a 49-yard touchdown run to close out the scoring. - AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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10/06/21 - Fred Davis, rSo/2025, Mercer + More +

OCT 4 STATS FCS NATIONAL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Fred Davis, Mercer, RB, R-Fr., 5-11, 210, Fortson, Georgia,...Davis set the Bears' modern-era record with 276 rushing yards and the program high with five rushing touchdowns in a 45-42 win over Samford in the Southern Conference. He averaged 9.9 yards over 28 carries, including scoring runs of 31, 21, 54, 1 and 2...Honorable Mention: Jaylan Adams, QB, The Citadel; Juwan Carter, QB, Norfolk State; Geremy Hickbottom, QB, Tennessee State; Cole Kelley, QB, Southeastern Louisiana; Talolo Limu-Jones, WR, Eastern Washington; Lonnie Moore IV, WR, Monmouth; Mark Pappas, QB, Morehead State; Lindsey Scott, QB, Nicholls; Xavier Shepherd, QB, Kennesaw State; Breylin Smith, QB, Central Arkansas; Trey Sneed, RB, Fordham. - STATS FCS Football

rSo/2025

RB Fred Davis, Mercer
News Source: STATS FCS Football
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10/03/21 - Fred Davis, rSo/2025, Mercer + More +

In a game that featured five lead changes and more than 1,000 yards of offense, Mercer's Fred Davis stole the show with school records of 276 yards rushing and five touchdowns as the Bears defeated Samford 45-42 on Saturday night. Four of Davis's touchdowns came in the second half, two in the third quarter and two in the fourth. The fourth-quarter scores proved pivotal, first giving Mercer a 38-35 lead, then later putting the Bears up 45-35.

A two-yard touchdown run by Samford quarterback Liam Welch cut the Bulldogs' deficit to 45-42 before Mercer's Coby Neenan recovered the onside-kick and the Bears ran out the final 1:22. Mercer's Fred Payton completed 13 of 23 passes for 161 yards. The Bears (3-1, 2-0 Southern Conference) finished with 350 rushing yards and 213 passing for a total of 563 yards. For Samford (2-3, 1-2), Welch completed 31 of 46 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns, He was intercepted twice. Jay Stanton had 101 yards rushing on 22 carries. The Bulldogs had 518 total yards. - AP College Football

rSo/2025

RB Fred Davis, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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09/25/21 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Brandon Marshall ran for a pair of scores and Fred Payton threw for another and Mercer controlled Furman 24-3 in a Southern Conference opener on Saturday. Payton threw a 35-yard touchdown to Ty James to complete a nine-play, 75-yard drive that put Mercer (2-1, 1-0) ahead 7-3. Marshall added touchdown runs of 10 and 1 yards in the second quarter for an 18-point lead. Fred Davis added 94 yards on the ground with 18 carries for Mercer. The Bears' defense stymied Furman (2-2, 0-1) quarterbacks Hamp Sisson who threw three interceptions and backup Jace Wilson who threw a pick. - AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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07/10/21 - Nate Howard, rSr/2025, Mercer + More +

South Alabama offensive lineman Nate Howard has left the team and entered the NCAA transfer portal, he confirmed to AL.com on Friday. Howard, a 6-foot-7, 325-pound freshman from Forsythe, Ga., did not see action for the Jaguars in 2020. He entered spring practice running with the first team at right tackle, but had lost playing time to Louisiana Tech transfer Antawn Lewis by the end of camp. A member of South Alabama's 2020 signing class, Howard is the fifth South Alabama scholarship player to leave the team since January. Of the other four, offensive lineman Hayden Burton was dismissed for violation of team rules, while running back Carlos Davis and safety Dewayne Betts were suspended indefinitely following offseason arrests. - Birmingham News

rSr/2025