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2023 Football Roster

Laura O'Dell
Derek Daniel
Derek Daniel
Austin Pantaleo
Austin Pantaleo
Austin Pantaleo
Laura O'Dell
Charles Mays
Ray Soldano
Ray Soldano

30 Jay Person

  • Position EDGE
  • Height 6-2
  • Weight 233
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Cleveland, Tenn.
  • Prev School Appalachian State
  • Highschool Bradley Central
  • Twitter @jasonperson78

Biography

- Transferred from Appalachian State in January 2019 with four years of eligibility
- Graduate in December 2022 with a degree in Health & Human Performance
- 2x All-America: 2022 (1st), 2023 (1st)
- 2x SoCon Defensive Player of the Year: 2022, 2023
- 2x Buck Buchanan Award Finalist: 2022 (T8), 2023 (12)
- 4x All-SoCon: 2020-21 (2nd), 2021 (2nd), 2022 (1st), 2023 (1st)

Career Stats (Rank in the Record Book)
- 49 career games played with 38 starts 
- 233 tackles - 133 Solo & 100 Assists
- 56.0 TFL (2nd)
- 27.0 sacks (4th)
- 9 forced fumbles
- 3 fumble recoveries
 
2023 (Senior)
- First team All-America (AFCA, Stats Perform, AP)...2nd team (Bluebloods, Phil Steele).
- SoCon Defensive Player of the Year...third student-athlete to win award (coaches vote) in back-to-back seasons (Dexter Coakley, App St., 1994-96; Davis Tull, Chattanooga, 2012-14).
- All-SoCon (consensus 1st team).
- Buck Buchanan Award Finalist (12th in voting).
- SoCon Leader in Sacks (9.5) and TFLs per game (1.42)...second in total TFLs (17.0).
- Career-high 4.0 tackles for loss in the win at Mercer...one of three games with a forced fumble (at Wofford, at Mercer, ETSU)...multiple TFLs in five contests...performance at Mercer started a run of 9.5 TFLs over four games including six sacks.
- 9.5 sacks with at least one involvement eight games...high of two against ETSU and regular season Furman...had at least one in 6-game run including FCS Playoffs win at Austin Peay before injury ended his season.
- 56 tackles (28 solo/28 assists)...high of eight in the win at Wofford...five or more seven times.
- Signed with New England after mini-camp tryout in May.
 
2022 (Junior)
- First team All-America per Stats Perform, AFCA, AP, Walter Camp & Phil Steele…second team by Bluebloods.
- SoCon Defensive Player of the Year…All-SoCon (consensus 1st team).
- Added to Buck Buchanan Award Watch List in October and finished as a Finalist tying for eighth overall.
- Tied for the Southern Conference lead with 8.0 sacks with teammate Devonnsha Maxwell…led the league in TFLs with a career-best 17.5.
- TSWA Tennessee Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 6)...earned it with a 10-tackle performance in the win at ETSU recording career highs of 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks to go with three QB hurries.
- Tied for third on the squad (Reuben Lowery III) with 52 total tackles…added a pass breakup, forced fumble and nine QB hurries.
- Monster game with 10 tackles, 4.0 for loss including 3.0 sacks, three QB hurries and a forced fumble in the 13-point comeback win at ETSU…largest halftime deficit overcome (0-13) on record for the program…he keyed a defense that held the Bucs with out a first down for 19 straight plays from late second quarter well into the fourth on their home field...4.0 TFLs at ETSU were the most by a Moc since DT Devonnsha Maxwell’s 5.0 (all sacks) in 2021 against...ETSU.
- Multiple TFLs in seven games with 2.5 at Eastern Illinois, VMI and at The Citadel trailing 4.0 at ETSU for season high…multiple sacks at EIU too with 2.0.
 
2021 (Sophomore II)
- Second team All-SoCon…11 games played all in a starting role.
- 63 tackles with 12.0 for loss and 5.5 sacks…tied Ben Brewton for fourth in the SoCon in sacks behind All-American teammate Devonnsha Maxwell’s league-leading 12.0...second to Maxwell (15.5) in TFLS.
- League leader in fumbles forced (3) and tied for the lead in recoveries (3).
- Career-high 11 tackles in the season finale against The Citadel…eight in matchups with Furman and Austin Peay.
- Four games with two or more TFLs…high of 2.5 against the Paladins with two coming on sacks…9.5 TFLs in the final six games with 4.5 of his 5.5 sacks.
- Helped lead a defensive effort that saw the Mocs lead the SoCon in every major statistic: Scoring (17.1), Total (275.8), Rushing (122.3) & Passing (153.5) Defense.
 
2020-21 (Sophomore)
- Second team All-SoCon…four games played with one start.
- Tied for the team lead with 7.0 TFLs in four games...tied with teammate Devonnsha Maxwell for the SoCon lead with 1.75 TFLs per game.
- 3.0 sacks finishing third in the league in sacks-per-game (0.75).
- 1.5 TFLs, a sack and five tackles overall against Furman...tied a then career mark with nine stops at The Citadel including 1.5 TFLs…3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks with four tackles overall at Western Kentucky.
 
2019 (Redshirt Freshman)
- Played in 11 games with three starts...posted 41 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.
- Nine tackles and a forced fumble against The Citadel...had eight stops against Tennessee.
 
Prior to Chattanooga
- Played in two games while redshirting at Appalachian State in 2018…made two tackles including one for loss against South Alabama and Arkansas State to begin the Sun Belt schedule.
- 2018 graduate of Bradley Central High School…served as captain during his senior season for a 10-3 team that reached the Class 6A state quarterfinals.
- Coached by Damon Floyd…Region 2-6A Defensive Player of the Year…6A All-State performer with 107 tackles (53 solo), 25 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.
- Finished his prep career with 270 tackles, 54 tackles for loss and 24 sacks as a 3-year starter.
- Played in the 2017 Toyota East-West Football All-Star Classic…rated a 3-star prospect by 247Sports.
 
Personal
- Full name is Jason Paul Person…born March 20, 2000.
- Son of Jason Person and Deidra Lindsey…has two brothers, Shun Qualls and teammate Romeo Wykle…three sisters, Kayla Womack and Jamiyah and Mariyah Person.
- Romeo played football at Lafayette College before joining the Mocs in 2020.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 30

    2019Freshman

    Linebacker
    6'2" 230 lbs
    30
  • 30

    2020Sophomore

    Linebacker
    6'3" 230 lbs
    30
  • 30

    2021Sophomore

    Linebacker
    6'4" 229 lbs
    30
  • 30

    2022Junior

    EDGE
    6'3" 224 lbs
    30
  • 30

    2023Senior

    EDGE
    6'2" 233 lbs
    30