Offensive lineman Kenton Jerido is returning for his fifth year at South Alabama, and he is looking forward to Saturday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Jerido, a Tuscaloosa native, is one of the rare players who has spent all five of his years at a single college. He is set to start at center for the Jaguars against Southeastern Louisiana.
“This is my last go-around with the Jags,” Jerido said. “I got 12 guaranteed games, I’m going to play all 12.”
Settling Into the Middle
Jerido said he is feeling good and has been getting back into playing form over the past several weeks of fall camp. After seeing time at guard and tackle at various points in his career, he has settled into the middle of the line for his final season.
“It’s extreme value, you can’t even put a dollar sign on it,” offensive line coach Bryant Ross said. “That guy has played all five positions from right tackle all the way over to left tackle.”
Positional versatility of that kind is genuinely rare and genuinely valuable. An offensive line that loses a starter mid-game has to reshuffle, and a player who can slide anywhere along the front lets a staff make one substitution instead of three. That Jerido has now landed at center — the position that makes the line calls — puts the most experienced player in the spot that requires the most knowledge.
A Vocal Leader
“He’s a very vocal leader, not only on the offensive line, but across the whole team,” said defensive lineman Stephen Johnson.
Johnson also noted how well-rounded Jerido is, saying his technique, strength and quickness make him difficult to go against in practice.
A Freshman Who Filled In
While Jerido was sidelined with an injury, true freshman Artem Korchagin Jr. took first-team snaps at center. Jerido said that experience could pay dividends for the Jaguars down the road.
“It was his time to shine when the moment came, and he did his job,” Jerido said.
Injury-forced reps for a true freshman at center are among the most valuable a young lineman can get. The position requires reading defensive fronts and setting protections, and there is no substitute for doing it live against a first-team defense.
The Projected Line
The projected starting offensive line includes right tackle Ethan Hubbard, also a returning starter; left tackle Reese Osei-Wusu; left guard Jamal Siler; and Jerido at center — all of whom were on last year’s South Alabama team.
Monmouth transfer Shalik Hubbard rounds out the group at right guard.
Four returning starters on an offensive line is a meaningful advantage. Line play depends more on shared experience than any other position group, since the five have to identify fronts, pass off stunts and adjust protections as a unit rather than individually.
“These guys have handled showing up everyday and going to work,” Ross said. “Every day is not pretty, but these guys take the coaching and come back out the next day and fix the issues from the previous day.”
Other Week 1 Notes
Head coach Major Applewhite said his team is ready to play, with players and coaches working to eliminate the mistakes that commonly surface in a season opener.
Senior and former walk-on Jordan Williams is listed as a starting linebacker heading into the opener. “Jordan showed us a lot of things in terms of his ability to run, athleticism and his understanding of what we do on defense,” Applewhite said.
Applewhite said he hopes junior linebacker Caleb Dozier will be able to return soon. Dozier suffered a season-ending injury last October.
Veteran defensive back Jayvon Henderson is back at cornerback after moving to nickel in the spring. Applewhite said he does not see it as a significant change for the returning starter. “Our nickels are our corners, and our corners are our nickels,” he said.
Senior wide receiver Anthony Eager was limited in practice Wednesday with a soft cast on his hand. Eager missed some spring practices with a broken hand, but Applewhite said he will be available Saturday.
Kickoff
Kickoff for South Alabama versus Southeastern Louisiana is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium.