Draft Scout Mercer Player News, College Football: Mercer

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Mercer

Previous 15 Notes

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09/03/24 - Brayden Smith, So/2027, Mercer + More +

WEEK 1 FCS NATIONAL SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Brayden Smith, Mercer, WR/Returns, So., 5-10, 210, Macon, Georgia,...Mercer lost key playmakers after last season, but Smith proved to be a solution in the Southern Conference squad's 63-10 win over Presbyterian. He returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown; had three kickoff returns for 69 yards; caught three passes for 83 yards, including a 68-yard TD; and had an 11-yard rush. His 238 all-purpose yards marked the FCS Week 1 high. Honorable Mention: DC Pippin, PK, Southeast Missouri; Jeff Yurk, P, Elon. - Stats Perform FCS

So/2027

WR Brayden Smith, Mercer
News Source: Stats Perform FCS
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08/29/24 - DJ Smith, Jr/2026, Mercer + More +

D.J. Smith accounted for four touchdowns and threw for 320 yards and Mercer took charge early in a 63-10 win over Presbyterian in the season opener for both teams on Thursday night. Dwayne Mcgee ran it from the 3 on Mercer's first drive for a 7-0 lead. Following a Blue Hose field goal, Smith helped lead an eight-play, 62-yard drive that ended with his 13-yard scoring pass to Kelin Parsons and a 14-3 lead. Smith - who threw three touchdowns and ran for one - plunged in from the 1 for a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

The Bears scored two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters and posted three TDs in the fourth. Smith threw a 68-yard touchdown to Brayden Smith and connected on a 9-yarder with Tyrell Coard for a 42-3 advantage. Smith's lone punt return was a 75-yard touchdown and the game's final score with 1:39 remaining. Mercer collected 500 yards on offense and went 8 for 11 on third down conversions. Presbyterian scored its touchdown when Ty Englehart threw a 24-yard pass to Cincere Gill to reduce the deficit to 42-10 before the end of the third. Engelhart threw for 141 yards and was intercepted twice. - AP College Football

Jr/2026

QB DJ Smith, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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11/22/22 - Ty James, Sr/2024, Mercer + More +

NOV 21 SOCON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ty James, R-So., WR, Mercer, Conyers, Ga.,...Mercer wide receiver Ty James had a record-setting day in the Bears' 50-44, double-overtime setback at No. 9/9 Samford on Saturday. The redshirt sophomore from Conyers, Georgia, had a career-high 13 catches for a school-record 351 yards, the most in an NCAA game this season and surpassing his own program standard of 224 set last season. James also erased a SoCon record that had stood since 2004, shattering the previous mark of 280 yards. James, who added 13 yards on one carry, also set a program record with 364 all-purpose yards on the afternoon, good for fourth in a game in SoCon history, while his two touchdown catches pushed his season total to 13, yet another program record and tied for eighth in a season in SoCon history. Other nominees: Tyler Huff (Furman), Michael Hiers (Samford), Sam Phillips (Chattanooga), Chance Knox (VMI), TJ Jones (Western Carolina) and Jimmy Weirick (Wofford). - SoCon Football

Sr/2024

WR Ty James, Mercer
News Source: SoCon Football
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11/18/22 - Tavion McCarthy, Sr/2024, Mercer + More +

2022 ALL-GLIAC SECOND TEAM: DB Tavion McCarthy, Northern Michigan, Jr.,...Defensive back Tavion McCarthy had 34 solo tackles and 23 assists fot 57 total tackles with a team high four interceptions and 12 pass break-ups. - Northern Michigan Football

Sr/2024

CB Tavion McCarthy, Mercer
News Source: Northern Michigan Football
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11/11/22 - Devron Harper, rSr/2024, Mercer + More +

OCT 31 SOCON SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Devron Harper, Jr., WR, Mercer, Conyers, Ga.,...Mercer wide receiver Devron Harper had a school-record 293 all-purpose yards as the Bears rolled to a 55-14 win at VMI on Saturday. The highlight of the day for the junior from Conyers, Georgia, was his 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, the second-longest punt return in program history, to open the scoring in the first quarter. Harper finished the day with a school-record 126 yards on four punt returns (31.5 yards per return) and had two kickoff returns for 65 yards (32.5 yards per return). Harper also added 22 yards rushing on four carries and 80 receiving yards on seven catches to surpass the prior school record for all-purpose yardage by 17 yards. Other nominees: Colby Kintner (The Citadel), Tyler Keltner (ETSU), Jack Barton (Furman), Zach Williams (Samford) and Bridger Jones (Wofford). - SoCon Football

rSr/2024

WR Devron Harper, Mercer
News Source: SoCon Football
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10/29/22 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Fred Payton threw four touchdown passes, CJ Miller had 105 yards rushing and Mercer rolled to a 55-14 victory over VMI on Saturday. Payton finished 17-of-24 passing with a pair of scoring throws in each half. Miller had just 12 carries that included a 4-yard touchdown run. Brandon Marshall added 77 yards rushing with a 2-yard TD run. Devron Harper opened the scoring for the Bears with an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown with about five minutes left in the first quarter. Mercer (7-2, 5-1) which entered with the top offense in the Southern Conference, put up 540 yards of offense against VMI (1-7, 0-5), which is last in the conference in scoring defense. Korey Bridy ran in for two scores from short yardage for the Keydets. - Mercer/AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: Mercer/AP College Football
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10/18/22 - Michael Campbell, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

OCT 17 SOCON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Michael Campbell, Gr., CB, Mercer, Darien, Ga.,...Mercer cornerback Michael Campbell had two tackles and his first career game with multiple interceptions as the Bears downed defending SoCon champion ETSU 55-33 on Saturday. The graduate student from Darien, Georgia, intercepted his first pass of the day in the second quarter, giving the Bears the ball at their own 21-yard line. Mercer would cash in for a touchdown on the following play to make it a 28-10. After picking up both of his tackles on the same drive in the fourth quarter, Campbell found the end zone himself with a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown with just 1:47 left in the contest to salt the game away. Other nominees: Hasan Black (The Citadel), Chris Hope (ETSU), Jay Person (Chattanooga), Va Lealaimatafao (Western Carolina) and David Powers (Wofford). - SoCon Football

rSr/2023

CB Michael Campbell, Mercer
News Source: SoCon Football
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10/15/22 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Fred Payton threw five touchdown passes and Mercer rolled up 577 yards on offense in a 55-33 victory over East Tennessee State on Saturday. Payton threw four TD passes in the first half as the Bears built a 28-10 lead in the second quarter on the way to a 28-20 halftime lead. ETSU closed to within five points twice in the second half, only to be thwarted each time. With Mercer leading 28-23 midway through the third quarter, Devron Harper scored on a 48-yard run for the Bears. Early in the fourth, Mercer led 38-33 before Payton threw his fifth TD pass - 31 yards to Ty James - for a 45-33 lead. After a Mercer field goal, Mike Campbell's 41-yard interception return for a touchdown capped the scoring for the No. 12 FCS Bears (6-1, 4-0 Southern Conference).

Payton completed 23 of 35 passes for 383 yards with the five touchdowns and one interception. James had seven receptions for 120 yards with two touchdowns. Drake Starks scored on both of his receptions totaling 25 yards and Brandon Marshall caught three passes for 110 yards. Tyler Riddell was 20-of-35 passing for 206 yards with one touchdown for ETSU (3-4, 1-4). The Buccaneers were 4-of-18 converting third down but perfect in five tries on fourth down. Tyler Keltner made four field goals in five tries. - Mercer/AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: Mercer/AP College Football
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10/14/22 - Isaac Dowling, Sr/2025, Mercer + More +

OCT 10 SOCON OCT 10 SOCON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Isaac Dowling, So., LB, Mercer, Snellville, Ga.,...Mercer linebacker Isaac Dowling totaled seven tackles (three solo) and his first two career interceptions as the Bears downed Western Carolina 49-6 Saturday. The sophomore from Snellville, Georgia, counted 1.5 tackles for loss among his seven stops and helped hold Western Carolina's high-powered offense to just two third-quarter field goals and a season-low 249 yards of total offense. The Catamounts entered the contest ninth in FCS in scoring offense at 39.2 points per game and second in the FCS in total offense at 549.8. Both of Dowling's interceptions came in the second quarter and stopped Catamount drives near midfield. Other nominees: Hasan Black (The Citadel), Rodney Wright (ETSU), Braden Gilby (Furman), Nathan East (Samford), Samaurie Dukes (Western Carolina) and Harrison Morgan (Wofford). - SoCon Football

Sr/2025

ILB Isaac Dowling, Mercer
News Source: SoCon Football
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10/08/22 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Fred Payton threw three touchdowns passes and Mercer held the Southern Conference's top-scoring team to a pair of field goals in the Bears' 49-6 win over Western Carolina on Saturday. The Catamounts (3-3, 1-2) came in as the nation's second-best producing offense at 549.8 yards per game but Mercer, with the conference's best defense and 11th in the country, outgained Western Carolina 520-249. Payton was 16-of-22 passing for 247 yards and ran for 48 more. Payton has 16 TD passes without an interception this season. Devron Harper made six catches for 94 yards and a score. Two Catamount quarterbacks combined for 175 yards passing with four interceptions, two made by the Bears' Isaac Dowling, while Western Carolina was held to 74 yards on 31 carries. Payton had a 15-yard TD pass to Drake Starks and scoring throws of 9 yards to Brandon Marshall and 46 to Harper in building a 42-0 halftime lead for the FCS 12th-ranked Bears. - AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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10/01/22 - Devron Harper, rSr/2024, Mercer + More +

Devron Harper caught a pair of touchdown passes and ran for a third and Mercer topped 40 points for the third time in five games as the Bears dominated Wofford, 42-7 in a Southern Conference game Saturday. Mercer beat Morehead State 63-13 in the season opener and routed Gardner-Webb 42-7 last week. The Bears (4-1, 2-0) held Wofford to just 67 yards on 25 carries and held the Terriers to 154 passing yards with two interceptions.

Seven runners combined for 224 rushing yards on 45 carries, with four different backs reaching the end zone. Austin Douglas carried 12 times for 73 yards to lead the Bears. Harper ran eight yards to cap Mercer's first possession, then pulled in a pair of Fred Payton touchdown passes in the third quarter - a four-yard toss to cap a nine-play, 84-yard drive and a 62-yard strike. Harper caught seven passes for 126 yards. Payton completed 20 of 26 passes for 330 yards. Jimmy Weirick was 19 of 32 passing for 154 yards and was intercepted once for Wofford (0-5). - AP College Football

rSr/2024

WR Devron Harper, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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09/24/22 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Fred Payton threw three touchdown passes and Mercer rolled to a 45-14 victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night. Payton was 15-of-23 passing for 187 yards. He threw a pair of touchdown passes to Devron Harper and one to Drake Starks. Harper made eight catches for 109 yards and added 64 yards on the ground. Harper broke loose on a 66-yard touchdown run on the game's first play from scrimmage. Payton added a 27-yard TD pass to Harper and a 15-yarder to Starks as Mercer (3-1) built a 21-0 first-quarter lead. Cameron Sims' 67-yard pick-6 stretched the Bears' lead to 28-7 heading into halftime. Bailey Fisher threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Luther and Jalin Graham ran into the end zone from the 1 for Gardner-Webb (1-3). Luther had six receptions for 98 yards. - AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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09/17/22 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Fred Payton and Ty James connected for two touchdowns, and Mercer beat The Citadel 17-0 on Saturday night. Payton threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to James early in the third quarter and a 63-yarder eight minutes later in the Southern Conference opener for Mercer (2-1, 1-0). Payton was 16-of-24 passing for 224 yards. James finished with seven catches for 138 yards receiving. Austin Douglas added 81 yards on the ground on 11 carries. The Citadel (1-2, 1-1) was held to 151 yards of offense. Peyton Derrick had just 59 yards on 7-of-16 passing. It was the Bears' third-straight win in the series. - AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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08/28/22 - Fred Payton, rSr/2023, Mercer + More +

Austin Douglas ran for 140 yards, including two long touchdowns, Fred Payton threw four touchdown passes and Mercer routed Morehead State 63-13 in a season-opener on Saturday night. Mercer dominated the first half with 17 first downs, 486 total yards and a 42-10 lead. Among the Bears' 267 yards rushing were 128 by Douglas who had touchdown runs of 65 and 56 yards. Payton was 10-of-15 passing for 219 yards with three touchdown passes to Ty James, who caught five passes for 192 yards. Payton and James hooked up for a 90-yard TD pass in the final minute of the half. Mercer finished with 625 total yards, including 359 on the ground. Payton was 11-of-17 passing for 248 yards. Mercer's Devron Harper scored on a 93-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter. The Eagles' only touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from Grady Cramer to Kyle Daly in the second quarter. Cramer completed 16 of 24 passes for 95 yards. - AP College Football

rSr/2023

QB Fred Payton, Mercer
News Source: AP College Football
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08/12/22 - Lance Wise, Sr/2023, Mercer + More +

2022 PRESEASON STATS PERFORM FCS THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICAN: DB - Lance Wise, 5-8, 185, junior, Mercer,...Wise was a force on the defensive side a season ago. He played a part in 59 tackles - 33 solo ones - on his way to being named an All-American by Hero Sports in 2021 and to the league's First Team in the postseason. - Mercer Football

Sr/2023