Tulsa Football Preseason Camp Opens with Monday Night Practice

Coach Philip Montgomery Interview

TULSA, Okla. –– Preparations for the 2017 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football season begin this week when Tulsa takes the field Monday night for the first practice of preseason camp, followed by a Tuesday morning workout.

Tulsa made a giant step in the first year of the Philip Montgomery era with six wins, and took a gigantic leap the second time around with a 10-3 season and Bowl game victory in 2016.

What's in store for Tulsa on the gridiron in the 2017 season?

The up-tempo offense Montgomery installed saw last year's Hurricane team become the first school in NCAA FBS/D1 history with a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard rushers and two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. The 2016 campaign saw the offense set multiple records, but it was a defense that made the most improvement, holding opponents to 10 points and 110 yards less than the previous season.

Entering the 2017 season, the offense will need to replace some weapons that were integral in Tulsa's success a year ago, and the defense will need to keep building on what it accomplished a year ago.

Tulsa returns a total of 48 lettermen, including seven starters on offense and six defensive starters.

The focus will be on the quarterback position as all-time passing leader Dane Evans has graduated, leaving the way for youngsters Chad President and Luke Skipper to battle it out for the starting spot. The bright spots for a first-year quarterback is that an offensive line returns four of five starters from a unit that paved the way for eight 300+ yard rushing games, a returning 1,000-yard rusher in the likes of D'Angelo Brewer, and a tall, skilled receiver with over 1,000 career yards in the likes of Justin Hobbs.

"When you have a more experienced offensive line it's going to be beneficial to the team, but especially when you're breaking in a new quarterback. Those guys have seen a bunch of different looks, been in a lot of battles, and they communicate well together," said Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery. "With a young quarterback, I think they can also be able to settle him down and give him confidence."

In the skill department offensively, Tulsa has a number of young players that can jump in to the role of playmakers.

The Hurricane returns a defensive unit that will be more athletic and faster than it was a year ago, led by a fearsome twosome at defensive end with seniors Jesse Brubaker and Jeremy Smith barreling down at opposing quarterbacks. The linebacker corps is young, but Craig Suits returns for his senior season to lead that group, while four players in the secondary return with vast starting experience.

Tulsa Football Preseason Camp Opens with Monday Night Practice

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Players Mentioned

D'Angelo Brewer

Jesse Brubaker

Dane Evans

Justin Hobbs

Chad President

Luke Skipper

Jeremy Smith

Craig Suits

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