The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Dilfer, Zeno and Bratton Head to AAC Media Days
7/21/2023 1:23:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – Head Coach Trent Dilfer will be accompanied by quarterback Jacob Zeno and linebacker Jackson Bratton as the Blazers head to Arlington, Texas this Monday and Tuesday, July 24-25 for their inaugural American Athletic Conference Media Days.
HOW TO WATCH:
TEAM NOTES:
Away games feature playing the reigning back-to-back national champs Georgia on Sept. 23 and playing the reigning Cotton Bowl champ Tulane the following week on Sept. 30.
HOW TO WATCH:
- ESPN+ will be your place to watch the American Athletic Conference Media Days.
- Trent Dilfer will be at the podium on Tuesday, July 25 at 10:25 a.m. and click here for the direct link.
- The AAC will also produce a live show and that link can be found here.
- Trent Dilfer will be at the podium on Tuesday, July 25 at 10:25 a.m. and click here for the direct link.
- Dilfer is in his first season as a collegiate head coach after leading Lipscomb Academy for four seasons (2019-22). Dilfer was 44-10 overall at Lipscomb and 26-1 in his final two seasons which included winning back-to-back state titles.
- Zeno, a Baylor transfer, is in his second season at UAB and eyes the full-time starting role this season. Zeno played in nine games last year and totaled 721 passing yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He started two contests, and in those games he completed 64 percent of his passes (45-of-70) for 524 yards, three touchdowns and one INT. He had a career-high 332 passing yards against UTSA.
- Bratton, an Alabama transfer, is also entering his second year at UAB and looks to seize the leadership role in the middle of UAB's defense. Bratton played a complimentary role behind UAB's top two leading tacklers last season, which included Noah Wilder who finished his career ranked third all-time in tackles at UAB (339). Bratton had 31 tackles last year and is poised for a breakout season in 2023 as the full-time starter.
TEAM NOTES:
- UAB is coming off back-to-back bowl wins for the first time in program history with its 2021 victory over No. 13 BYU in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and last year's win over Miami (OH) in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.
- From 2017-22, which is when UAB returned to action after missing two seasons, the Blazers were the winningest team in Conference USA with 50 total victories. UTSA was the second closest during that span with 43.
- UAB's record of 50-26 (.658) over the last six seasons was the sixth highest winning percentage amongst Group of 5 schools.
- The Blazers have been dominant at home, compiling a record of 29-4 dating back to 2017. Entering its third year at Protective Stadium, UAB is 8-3 in its new home.
- Jermaine Brown Jr. headlines the returners on offense as the fifth-year running back is coming off a career season in which he had 948 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He and last year's national leader in rushing yards DeWayne McBride made up one of the best 1-2 punches in the country and helped UAB set a school record for rushing yards (3,063).
- Brown added 120 receiving yards and 475 return yards last year for 1,543 all-purpose yards. He enters this season needing 1,194 all-purpose yards to set the school record in that category.
- Defensively, the McWilliams brothers are both poised for headlines this season. Fish McWilliams is regarded as one of the top interior tackles in the American Athletic Conference and had 32 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, four QBH and one forced fumble in 2022.
- His brother Mac, was one of the top shutdown corners in Conference USA last season before suffering a season-ending injury seven games in. He had 19 tackles and 10 pass breakups (which led C-USA at the time of his injury), along with one interception which he returned 78 yards for a touchdown. Mac is fully healthy heading into 2023 and should be one of the top corners in the league.
- Nickel Keondre Swoopes is also a veteran in the secondary who is a two-time All-Conference performer and will be a force in the back end of UAB's defense.
Away games feature playing the reigning back-to-back national champs Georgia on Sept. 23 and playing the reigning Cotton Bowl champ Tulane the following week on Sept. 30.
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