South Alabama Dismisses Sledge, Nettles; Raymond Cotton Cleared to Join Jaguars Football

MOBILE, Ala. — Raymond Cotton South Alabama ties became official Wednesday when the redshirt freshman quarterback received his release from Ole Miss, clearing him to take part in the Jaguars’ first preseason practice Friday morning. The football news came two days after South Alabama men’s basketball coach Ronnie Arrow dismissed incoming players Labree Sledge and Kentari Nettles from his program.

Basketball Signees Dismissed

South Alabama announced Monday that Sledge and Nettles are no longer part of the men’s basketball program. Both players signed National Letters of Intent with the Jaguars in November and had enrolled in summer school classes, but the school said they violated team and university rules.

“Due to recent circumstances we felt like it would be in the best interest of both the program and the individuals involved that we part ways at this time,” Arrow said. “We wish them the best in their future endeavors.”

Sledge averaged 9.8 points per game at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. Nettles played at LeFlore High School in Mobile, where he helped lead the team to the Class 5A semifinals in 2008.

Cotton Joins Quarterback Group

Cotton was ranked among the top 30 quarterbacks in the country by both ESPN and Scout.com coming out of high school and was listed among the top 15 players in the Mid-Atlantic region. He attended the Elite 11 quarterback camp after his season at Fort Meade.

He joins a quarterback room that includes Brennan Sim, Myles Gibbon and Gabe Graham, all of whom were with the team last season, along with incoming freshman C.J. Bennett of Tampa, Fla. Matt Saucier took snaps at quarterback during spring practice a year ago before moving to safety prior to the 2009 season. Nick Owens transferred out of the program after last season.

Jarred Williams Transfers From FAU

South Alabama also announced Wednesday that defensive end Jarred Williams is transferring from Florida Atlantic. Williams, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound native of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., redshirted last season at FAU and will have four years of eligibility with the Jaguars. He is also expected to be on the field for Friday’s first practice.

Williams is the fifth student-athlete to join South Alabama from an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision program.

Second Season Brings Tougher Schedule

The Jaguars, coached by Joey Jones, begin preparation Friday for their second season of football. The schedule grows from seven games in 2009 to 10 games in 2010, with every opponent a four-year institution, and includes the program’s first three road games. The coaching staff made spring drills more physical in anticipation of the tougher slate and recruited to fill specific needs and add depth.

Jones expects 129 players to report Wednesday. Academic matters are scheduled for Thursday, with team meetings expected before practice begins Friday.

The secondary was one area the staff targeted. Saucier was among several players moved from offense to defense to add depth in the defensive backfield, and Ken Barefield also made the move to the secondary. South Alabama added Jonathan Cameron from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Darrow Fisher for experience, along with several freshmen.

Line Depth and Pass Rush

Jones said only about six offensive linemen received most of the playing time last season and that he wants to expand that group.

“We need to have at least 10 guys that we feel like we can count on. We’re recruiting to try and get to that point,” Jones said. “Playing the schedule we’re playing this year, we’ve got to create some depth there, and competition. Last year, those guys knew it didn’t matter what they did, they were going to start. We didn’t have any depth. Now we’re going to have some guys breathing down their necks and pushing them and that’s always good.”

Jones also pointed to defensive end as a position of emphasis.

“We need to find guys who can come off the edge and sack the quarterback. We feel like we’ve got some big guys on the defensive line, some very good players, but we’ve got to develop some pass rush,” he said. “They’ve really gotten bigger, faster and stronger. But most of those guys we’re playing with on the defensive line, they’re freshmen. We don’t have a lot of veterans there to help them out.”

Practice Schedule

Friday’s practice runs from 7:10 to 9:45 a.m. and opens a stretch of nine consecutive days of workouts. Players will practice in T-shirts and shorts Friday and Saturday, add shoulder pads Sunday and Monday, and go to full pads beginning Tuesday.