Year three of the Jay Hopson era at the University of Southern Mississippi gets underway with a couple of question marks. The Eagles recorded an 8-5 mark last year and finished 6-2 in C-USA West play. They ended the season with a 42-13 loss to Florida State in the Independence Bowl.
The major question on offense concerns who will catch the ball, and on defense the main question to be answered concerns who will replace the four secondary starters from last fall.
The Eagles return Kwadra Griggs at quarterback. He was a major reason that USM won eight games last year. Sophomore transfer Jack Abraham will push Griggs for playing time. “It will be a fun battle. That is a position that will keep battling it out every day,” said Hopson.
The Eagles graduated their top three receivers from last year. Tim Jones, Quez Watkins and Trevor Terry all are speedy and will be given the first shot at those spots. Also gone is record-breaking running back Ito Smith. The latter will be hard to replace as he totaled 1,800 yards of offense to go with 15 touchdowns. He was the third leading receiver on the team. Two seniors George Payne and T’Rod Daniels have some flash and will try to replace Smith’s production.
Three offensive linemen in guards Ty Pollard and Arvin Fletcher and tackle Drake Dorbeck return. True freshman Trace Clopton, who enrolled in January, has secured the starting center position.
The league’s best linebacker Racheem Boothe leads the defense. Jeremy Sangster will join him. The entire secondary is gone, but Picasso Nelson, who missed last season with an injury, returns. Nelson has three years of starting experience on his resume. The best things for the secondary are strong linebacker play and a stellar pass rush. LaDarius Harris and Jacques Turner will lead the rush while Darian Yancey and Paxton Schrimsher are solid defensive ends for the Black and Gold.
Placekicker Parker Shaunfield returns. He is considered one of the best kickers in the country. Shaunfield was the C-USA’s Special Team Player of the Year in 2017. Also returning is punter Zac Everett.
The Eagles have winnable home games to start the season against Jackson State and ULM. A good start is a must for this year’s team. C-USA road games at North Texas and UAB may determine USM’s success rate. Home games against Marshall and Louisiana Tech are must wins. A road trip to Auburn on the last Saturday of September highlights the season.
