Southern Miss football began spring practice on Saturday, and the Golden Eagles' roster features 26 new names.
"The competition will be a whole lot better," Southern Miss coach Will Hall said. "Just because you started last year, it doesn't mean a whole lot because you started on a 3-9 football team. That's not good enough. We have got to be better individually so we can be better collectively."
Hall felt confident that the program is ahead compared to where it was last year.
"When you are playing football with no pads on, you can convince yourself of anything," Hall said. "Some of it might be true, and some of it might not be. It's good to get out here and implement our language with so many newcomers. We are light years ahead of where we were this time last year, with almost everybody back. I read somewhere we were seventh in the country with the most production back. We've added a lot more talent. We have a lot more players. We have more players going through spring football than we had in the fall, which should never happen."
O-LINE SHUFFLE
The offensive line was one of the most significant issues in the Golden Eagles' 3-9 season. After going through several different variations during last season, the group allowed 44 sacks, the fourth most in all of college football.
Southern Miss added Sam Gregg, who was previously Liberty's offensive line coach. Prior to Liberty, Gregg and Hall coached together at Southwest Baptist, Arkansas-Monticello, West Alabama and West Georgia.
The Golden Eagles also added freshman early enrollee Will Saxton (6-foot-3, 322 pounds), Mississippi State transfer Calvin McMillian (6-foot-5, 360) and Ole Miss transfer Bryce Ramsey (6-foot-1, 330).
"We have to improve on the o-line," Hall said. "We added an influx of transfers. We added a great o-line coach with Sam Gregg.
"Everybody is back except for Khalique Washington and Bryce Foxworth," Hall said. "We brought in Bryce Ramsey, Calvin McMillan and Will Saxton, so we've added three really talented young men to that room and a new O-line coach. There is some familiarity to that system, but there is a lot newness to how we do things."
Taking first-team snaps on Saturday were Ramsey at center and then Gerquan Scott (6-foot-4, 331), John Bolding (6-foot-3, 320) and Briason Mays (6-foot-3, 315). Returning starters Tykeem Doss (6-foot-5, 360) and Paul Gainer Jr. (6-foot-3, 290) both regularly swapped for first-team reps.
Returning starter Coker Wright was out due to the same back injury that led to him missing the last three games of last season.
TY KEYES LEADS FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Despite suffering a season-ending ankle injury, Hall stated that the starting quarterback job is currently Ty Keyes'.
The redshirt freshman said that he was "100% healthy," with Hall adding that he felt Keyes' experience from last year is valuable.
"I'm more of a glass-half-full guy," Hall said. "He was a freshman that got to play four games, so he gained four games instead of being a redshirt freshman and not having any experience. One of them being Alabama, where he showed he belonged. He played really well against Grambling, and he played against Troy in tough conditions. You can see the maturity with him and how much more comfortable he is."
TREY LOWE RETURNS
Southern Miss' initial starting quarterback from last season, Trey Lowe, returns to the team. Lowe, who Hall stated during the offseason may change positions, returns at quarterback and practiced with the second-team on Saturday.
Hall stated that Hernando Zach Wilke, a freshman early enrollee, Lowe and Keyes would also compete for the starting quarterback job this spring.
"Trey is back from injury," Hall said. "Ty is back from injury. Ty is taking the first reps right now. It's his job to lose with how he played last year. Zach Wilke was held out today due to contact tracing, but he'll be back on Monday. He's had a phenomenal offseason. He tore it up in the offseason program. Those are the three competing for the job. All of them are highly recruited kids that are really talented."
HALL'S 'SURE' ON FUTURE SCHEDULE
Hall was also asked about Southern Miss' recent announcement to not compete in Conference USA next fall.
"I feel like I know, so I feel good about it," Hall said. "What I do know is that we play Liberty Game 1, then we played Miami Game 2, and I know we played Northwestern State Game 3 and I know we play Tulane for Game 4. Any human being that's looking further than that then they have way more time on their hands than I do. Whoever we played Game 5 and on, it'll be what it'll be. We are excited about the future of the Sun Belt and the future of where we are heading overall as an athletics program. We have great leadership, and we feel good about where we are heading."
Southern Miss' spring football game is scheduled for Saturday, April 2 at 11 a.m.
