JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — With less than two weeks until kickoff, ETSU football is beginning to see the pieces come together as the Buccaneers move deeper into fall camp. ETSU took the field Saturday for its second scrimmage of the preseason, showing noticeable improvement from its first. Head coach Will Healy was critical of the offense following the Bucs’ opening scrimmage, but after another week of practices and game-situation work, he said he saw progress on both sides of the ball. “I’m very pleased where we’ve come as far as a team aspect is concerned,” Healy said. “I thought today was much better, give and take. I saw really good things offensively and really good things defensively. We stayed relatively healthy, so very pleased with where we’re heading.” Building chemistry was an early emphasis for the Buccaneers during camp. As the season approaches, Healy said the focus is shifting toward preparing his team for the different situations it could encounter on game day. “Now it’s about making sure we’ve covered some of these crazy situations and make sure they’re prepared,” Healy said. Running back D’Marius Rucker said the team’s chemistry could become one of its biggest strengths as the season progresses. “We’re really close all around, having a great team, having a great chemistry,” Rucker said. “That really goes a long way because once you get deep in the playoffs in December, everybody’s good, everybody has talent, everybody has a good team. So just that bond and that chemistry, knowing that that person on that field can make that play, it goes a really long way.” Healy also announced Saturday that Louisville transfer Mason Mims will be ETSU’s starting quarterback. Mims is expected to receive increased reps as the Bucs enter another week of fall camp. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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