By Steve Carpenter
Hutchinson CC Sports Information Director

The names had become all too familiar to Blue Dragon fans over the past three seasons.

Names like Malik Benson, Dylan Kedzior, Dylan Laible, R.J. Evans, Ja'Mez Drummer, Rodney Green and so many others are etched in Blue Dragon lore after an incredible three-year run that saw two trips to the NJCAA title game and winning one national championship.

Now in his fourth season, Hutchinson Community College head coach Drew Dallas is starting to see the "normal" of junior college football with huge roster turnovers nearly every year. He faces that for the first time as the Blue Dragon head coach enters the 2023 season.

The preseason pick to win the Jayhawk Conference and the No. 2-ranked team in the NJCAA preseason rankings, the Blue Dragons open the 2023 season on Saturday against No. 11 Navarro in Corsicana, Texas.

The Blue Dragons return no offensive starters and only seven returning lettermen (players who didn't start but played in at least half of the games). The defense has one starter and 13 returning lettermen back, and the special teams has two starters, including a returning All-American.

Regardless of the level of playing experience the Blue Dragons have entering the season, the standard set by Dallas when he took over before the 2020/21 season remains the same – winning a national championship.

"Our guys step on the field expecting to do that," said Dallas, who is 28-3 through his first three campaigns with the Blue Dragons. "Now, the challenge is making sure that we are all working and pushing to be good enough in the process it takes to get you there and not get caught up in the talk.

"I have to remind them that it's just not going to happen. We have zero wins right now. We've got to have an ultimate goal of winning a national championship. The only way to do that is to focus on the process and take it one day and one game at a time."

The 2023 Blue Dragons have a tough act to follow.

All the 2022 Blue Dragons did was extend a winning streak from the previous season to 17 games – the second-longest win streak in program history – by winning the first 11 games of the season. The Dragons had an undefeated march to the program's 10th Jayhawk Conference title in program history. The Blue Dragons defeated Coffeyville 38-7 in the NJCAA national semifinals at Gowans Stadium, but fell short of the ultimate goal in the national title game with a 31-0 loss to Iowa Western in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Along the way, the 2022 Blue Dragons produced 31 all-conference players with 14 first-team selections and 10 NJCAA All-Americans. Dallas was named the AFCA National Coach of the Year, and quarterback Dylan Laible was a finalist for the Walter Jones Player of the Year Award. Dylan Kedzior was the Jayhawk Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

In addition to the personnel turnover, the Blue Dragons have two new coordinators in defensive coordinator Gary Salgado – last year's defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator – and offensive coordinator Tony Koehling, who was hired from Iowa Western Community College. The staff has three new faces with the additional hirings of DeMarcus Roberson and Davin Hawkins.

Now, Dallas looks to put the 2023 Blue Dragon in position to reach the heights of the 2022 Blue Dragons, maybe perhaps taking that extra step.

"Assuming what normal is and I've never experienced this yet, but we lost 34 guys from last year's team who moved onto Division I programs," Dallas said. "We only have one kid back from last year who started throughout the year. There's a lot of reps to replace, and there is a lot of opportunity for the guys we have on the roster to come in and compete. We don't know what they are capable of doing. We think we have an idea, and we feel like we have good talent.

"There's just a lot of unknowns. You have a lot of turnover on the roster with players who used all that eligibility. We've had a bunch of staff turnover with those new faces as well.

"The good thing about that is when you have those types of things happen, you want to be in a program that you can replace that with the right caliber of person and player. I think we've been able to do that, but know it comes down to executing and getting it done when the lights are on."

2022 OFFENSE
The Blue Dragons had one of the top offenses in the NJCAA last season, averaging 37.2 points and 410.4 total yards per game.

Led by the 2022 Jayhawk Conference Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Kedzior, the Blue Dragons led the KJCCC in rushing at 188.6 yards per game. Kedzior rushed for 1,114 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry last season.

Dylan Laible, the program's career passing leader, led a passing game that averaged 221.8 yards per game.

Part of that offense came from the strong special teams' play of Honorable Mention All-American kicker Cole Segraves, who scored a team-high 95 points on 53 of 54 extra-point tries and 14 of 21 field-goal attempts.

2022 DEFENSE
The Blue Dragon defense limited opponents to 13.1 points and 263.7 total yards last season. The Blue Dragons posted shutouts over No. 13 Navarro and Independence last season. Twice last season, the Dragons held opponents to negative rushing yards.

Hutchinson held opponents to 100.9 rushing yards and 162.8 passing yards per game last season. The Blue Dragons forced 30 takeaways (18 interceptions, 12 fumbles). The Blue Dragons also accounted for 38 quarterback sacks and 109 tackles for loss.

Opponents had a 24 percent success rate on third down against the Blue Dragons in 2022. The Blue Dragons allowed only 14 touchdowns in just 23 opponent advances into the red zone.

POSITION BREAKDOWNS
QUARTERBACK
The Blue Dragon must replace three-year starter Dylan Laible, who set records for passing yards (5,958) and touchdown passes (65) in amassing 24 victories.

There are four potential replacements for Laible in Jake Parker (6'0, 184, Cartersville, GA), University of Illinois transfer Samari Collier (6'1, 243, DeSoto, Texas), Malachi Berg (6'3, 201, Topeka) and Christian Johnson (5'11, 198, Hope Hull, Alabama).

Parker was with the team in 2022 and learned the system in the fall and spring. Collier joined the Blue Dragons for the second semester and has been with the Blue Dragons through spring ball. Berg, a freshman, is one of the most highly-sought quarterbacks from the Kansas senior class of 2023, and Johnson is also a freshman.

"Jake Parker was with us last year, and we were luckily able to keep his redshirt on," Dallas said. "He's a very smart, intellectual football player who has great leadership qualities. He operates fast and is consistent.

"Samari Collier is a kid who's fit into a lot of different offenses and has had some experience playing some big-time college football, but he still doesn't have a lot of game reps. His skill level is very high.

"It's all going to come down to execution in practice and see who rises to the occasion. We are going to coach 'em up. Regardless of who it is, we are going to have multiple good quarterbacks to help us win football games."

RUNNING BACKS
Two running backs return this season.

Ed Williams III (5'11, 208, Oxford, Florida) played in 10 games last season and had some meaningful carries late in the year. Williams rushed for 225 yards on 39 carries and two touchdowns. Julius Bolden (5'10, 186, Wichita) played in seven games with 10 carries and 35 yards.

"Ed played some quality reps toward the end of the (2022) season and showed some flashes, but it was in a limited role," Dallas said. "He's a talented kid with the ability to do it."

SMU transfer Brandon Epton (5'11, 197, Dallas) and redshirt Waymond Jordan Jr. (5'11, 195, Pensacola, Florida ) will also be in the mix for playing time.

"I do think we have the numbers and the talent back there," Dallas said. "It's a matter of who's going to execute, who's going to take care of the football, who is going to do the things on a consistent basis to earn those reps and earn those carries. That's a position that might take some time to figure out. It's a physical position where you need to have some depth."

RECEIVER
The receiving corps took a serious hit from graduation. In addition losing Benson, a two-time first-team All-American, the Blue Dragons lost a grand total of 151 receptions and 2,115 yards with the departures of Benson, Marcello Bussey, Micah Woods, and Trey Echols.

"There are a lot of catches to be had out there," Dallas said. "There's going to a new host of receivers out there this year trying to be the next Malik Benson, Marcello Bussey, Micah Woods, and Trey Echols. There's going to be some experience back that we can lead on, but there are some new guys who redshirted who expect to make a difference for us."

Blake Durham (6'2, 192, Prattville, Alabama) is statistically the top returning receiver with six catches and 77 yards in 12 games. Tristan Smith (6'5, 198, LaGrange, Georgia) had two receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. Roper (5'11, 172, Haven) had one catch for nine yards.

Redshirt Oran Singleton (5'8, 164, Clewiston, Florida) is originally a transfer from the University of Akron. He had a tremendous spring for the Blue Dragons.

Dallas is also looking hard at returning redshirt player Tre Brown (6'3, 175, Savannah, Georgia) as well as transfer Zeriah Beason (6'0, 196, Midlothian, Texas), who came to Hutchinson from Oregon State and Navarro transfer Marcus Bonner (6'1, 210, DeSoto, Texas) to vie for time. Freshman Tre Richardson, Ja'Cory Thomas, and returning redshirt Demetric Whitlock are guys who be in the mix.

H-BACK/TIGHT END
One of the biggest losses from 2022 is the departure of three-time first-team All-KJCCC performer Jamauri Chislom, as well as Sloan Hayden and Tyce Hoover.

"Jamauri is going to be extremely tough to replace. His identity as a football player was just being physical," Dallas said. "We had three really good tight ends; so, we were able to get in some different sets."

Returning sophomore Jaimelle Claytor (6'3, 198, Saint Albans, West Virginia) played in all 12 games last season and caught four passes for 33 yards. Most of Claytor's work was on special teams, including returning a blocked punt in the fourth quarter of the regular season matchup with Iowa Western for a go-ahead touchdown of a 28-27 victory over the Reivers.

Matt Rudy (6'3, 230, Wichita) was a redshirt last season. After that, several freshmen will battle for playing time. Rodrecas Gibbs (6'5, 245, Atlanta) had a great fall camp. Also, newcomers Cole Coonrod (6'5, 210, Manhattan) and Jared Napoli (6'0, 240, Shawnee) will figure into the rotation.

"The tight end position is one that dictates the identity of your offense, along with the quarterback position," Dallas said. "We are going to have a group of tight ends, and we are going to have to figure out what each of those guys do well and put them in positions to succeed."

OFFENSIVE LINE
There are a lot of similarities to the 2022 and 2023 Blue Dragon offensive lines.

Heading into the 2022 season, there wasn't much returning experience from the previous season, and that line group blocked the way for the conference's best rushing attack last season and produced three all-conference players and two NJCAA All-Americans.

The Blue Dragons have just two players with returning experience back in Matt Glen (6'4, 317, Salina) and Brandon Honorable (6'7, 303, Detroit). Neither player started last season.

Added to the mix are redshirts Christopher Cain (6'7, 297, Eskridge, Kansas), Ashton Jackson (6'4, 275, Savannah, Georgia), Sunny Okunlola (6'4, 280, Brockton, Massachusetts), Jayven Richardson (6'6, 203, Gonzalez, Louisiana), Derrick Walker (6'1, 293, Pembroke Pines, Florida), Maddox Marcotte (6'4, 300, Wichita) and newcomer Logan Cox (6'5, 335, Topeka).

Josh Robertson (6'8, 287, St. Louis, Missouri) is a transfer from Butler, who will make the position change from defensive end to offensive tackle.

Amidst all the personnel change is a new position coach in Tony Koehling.

"We feel like the offensive line is an area where we have the pieces of the puzzle, but that puzzle has to fit with five guys working together," Dallas said. "The timing of Coach Koehling coming in with all the new guys, that's been good for us.

"There are a lot of new faces, and you don't feel like you are re-teaching things. We are going to be able to find some guys who are ready to play and play some big reps for us."

DEFENSIVE LINE
The Blue Dragon defensive front easily returns the most experience from last season.

Returning defensive tackles from last season are Danny Saili (6'4, 374, Topeka), Quentin Williams (6'3, 267, Charlotte, North Carolina), Kaden Anderson (6'1, 256, Lafayette, Louisiana), Xavier Stillman (6-5, 308, Wathena, Kansas) and Adam Lamar (6-3, 274, Macon, Georgia).

Walter Bob Jr. (6'5, 227, Lafayette, Louisiana) and Daniel Brown (6'1, 234, Kansas City, Missouri) saw playing time on the end.

Saili and Bob were all-KJCCC honorable mention selections. Saili had 17 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Bob had 35 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks.

"Those guys all got reps last year," Dallas said. "None of them started, but that had more to do with the guys playing ahead of them and their ability. This is the year for those guys to take over those roles.

"That position is one of our deepest positions in returning reps, but we have several people who we can put on the field and lose our quality."

Redshirts Mickel Williams Jr. (6'4, 266, Arcadia, Florida), Rudy Vargas (6'2, 285, Junction City) and Duke Clayton (6'6, 237, Suwanee, Georgia) will be in the mix. Temple transfer Balansama Kamara (6'4, 245, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania) will vie for playing time at defensive end, and Missouri transfer Ian Matthews (6'3, 276, Columbia, Missouri) will be in the mix at defensive tackle. Freshman Devan Lowe will be a rotation guy at defensive tackle.

LINEBACKERS
The linebacking corps will have pretty much a total reload from last season as well as a new position coach in DeMarcus Roberson.

Redshirt K'Von Sherman (6'3, 222, Houston, Texas) had a tremendous spring.

Players who saw playing time, but mostly on special teams are Nylen Jones (6'0, 220, Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Cody Hawks (6'1, 222, Goddard), Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan (6'1, 190, Kansas City, Missouri), and Jakari Foster (6'0, 205, Piedmont, Alabama).

"We have players back who have played a lot of reps on special teams or have redshirted, and they were all able to get bigger, faster and stronger," Dallas said. "We lost some really good ones. This crew of linebackers are going to have to step up and take over.

"They have played in various roles, so the speed of the game won't be new to them because they have played a lot of football. The roles that we will be asking them to play will be new, so they have to take advantage of those opportunities."

Lamar University transfer Adrian Owens (6'1, 215, Houston, Texas) is in camp to battle for playing time. Logan McGraw (5'11, 230, Wyandotte, Michigan) will also compete for playing time.

DEFENSIVE SECONDARY
Once again, there's not a lot of returning experience, but the secondary possesses the one true starter back from last season.

Cornerback Jamar Mundy (5'11, 175, Cincinnati) was an honorable mention all-Jayhawk Conference selection last season with 10 total tackles and one interception last season.

Cornerback Mason Edwards (6'2, 184, Denham Springs, Louisiana) also saw significant playing time with seven tackles in 11 games played.

No game experience returns at safety. Look for redshirts Malik McConico (6'3, 192, Ocala, Florida), Kyree Faust (6'1, 178, Charlotte, North Carolina) and Demonte Gaston (6'3, 207, Pensacola, Florida) to be in the mix to fill those spots.

"We are going to have a lot of new guys who are going to have to come in here, compete and play quality reps for us," Dallas said. "The talent level is there. It's about finding those guys who can be consistent in what they are doing and raise that level up in practice."

Four transfers – Logan Clark (Campbell, 6'2, 174, Haddonfield, New Jersey), Davion Nelson (Iowa Western, 6'2, 188, Phoenix), and Ryan Nolan (Army Prep, 5'11, 180, Gainesville, Florida) will add to the depth of the secondary. Jordan Scruggs (5'11, 185. Overland Park, Central Missouri), freshman – La'Modrick Spencer (6'1, 175, Duncanville, Texas) and freshman Ormond Wallace (6'0, 190, Pinson, Alabama) will also compete for playing time.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Led by Segraves, an honorable mention All-American kicker, the Blue Dragon special teams start off in great shape in 2023.

Segraves (5'8, 179, Maize) connected on 53 of 54 extra points and 14 of 21 field goals with a long of 46 yards. His 14 field goals tied Kevin Coleman (2004) for the Blue Dragon single-season record and his 53 extra points were fourth most in a season. Segraves' 95 points were the eighth-highest total in Blue Dragon single-season history.

"In that position, you have to be mentally tough and have to prepare yourself for those situations, and you can't replicate it in practice," Dallas said of Segraves. "You've got to prepare to make some big kicks with all eyes on you. He's proven he's capable of doing it. His success is not by accident. He works at it."

Nestus Berger (6'1, 218, Perth, Australia) is a transfer who played soccer at NEO last season,

The Dragons will have to replace punter Trevor Whiteman. Stefaan Forbes (5'10, 172, Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a transfer who started his career at Independence Community College. Forbes averaged 41.8 yards per punt with 19 punts inside the 20-yard line in 2021 at Independence.

Oklahoma State transfer Cade Davis (6'1, 218, Tulsa, Oklahoma) will take over at long-snapper for Arkansas-bound Ashton Ngo.

Darby Roper, an all-league honorable mention selection in 2022, is back as the top return specialist. Roper averaged 9.2 yards per punt return on 26 attempts. He returned one punt for a touchdown.

"Darby Roper is extremely confident and makes great decisions as a punt returner," Dallas said. "We will have some kids who will push for those positions. Darby was really good at it last year."

Singleton & Richardson will also we in the mix in the return game.