NEXT GAME
Wittenberg at DePauw, 2 p.m. Saturday
Every once in a while, Wittenberg gets a transfer from a higher division, and more often than not, they do to turn into high-impact players: John Hauser from Ball State and Tim Daoust from Bowling Green in the late 1990s and Tristan Murray from Brown University 11 years ago.
The No. 20 Tigers (3-1, 2-1 North Coast Athletic Conference) have another player this season who could fall into that category. Free safety Jay Mastin, a Centerville graduate, transferred to Wittenberg from Miami University this fall.
Through four games, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Mastin ranks third on the team with 25 tackles. He has one sack and one interception.
“Everyone is excited about transfers because you’re getting a guy who from an athletic standpoint should be different than what a Division III player is, and Jay is,” Wittenberg coach Joe Fincham said. “He’s 6-2 and runs well. But they all go through the same transition as a new player. The playbook’s new. The surroundings are new. The teammates are new. Sometimes it takes longer than you think for a guy to truly get settled.”
Mastin redshirted as a freshman at Miami in 2012. He appeared in 18 games in 2013 and 2014 for the RedHawks, making 11 starts. He left the school for personal reasons and heard about Wittenberg from Taylor Housewright, who spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Miami before landing a job as wide receivers coach at Wittenberg this season.
“Coming here, winning is an expectation,” Mastin said. “That’s how everyone carries themselves, from the coaching staff to the players. Everyone loves football. Everyone is giving it their all and is dedicated to winning and carrying on the tradition.”
Even coming from a Division I program, Mastin didn’t expect to start right away. He knew he had to earn a spot.
“I had to earn the respect from the players,” Mastin said. “There were a lot of older guys who took me in and showed me the ropes. I really appreciated that.”
The Wittenberg defense recorded its best performance of the season Saturday, shutting out Wooster 24-0 and holding the Scots to 206 yards of total offense. Mastin had six tackles.
“The light is starting to come on for him now,” Fincham said. “You can see him getting more comfortable.”
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