MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama assistant coach Dameyune Craig filled in for head coach Joey Jones on Tuesday’s edition of the Joey Jones Show, joining host Lee Shirvanian at Wings Sports Grill while Jones was on the road recruiting in the New Orleans area.
Recruiting Season Under Way
With the recruiting period in full swing, Craig said the Jaguar staff is working to bring the top quarterbacks in the area and the region to South Alabama. Asked by a caller about a specific high school quarterback playing in an upcoming state championship game, Craig declined to discuss individual prospects.
Craig said Alabama and Auburn are each recruiting only about five to eight players from within the state this year, which he said gives South Alabama an opportunity to sign local players who may be overlooked by those programs.
Receivers and Quarterbacks
Responding to a caller’s question about the current roster, Craig said the Jaguars have two receivers who transferred from Division I programs. One came from UAB and the other from Southern Miss, and Craig said both have good speed. The staff hopes to have the UAB transfer cleared to play next fall.
Craig said the team currently has a quarterback from Louisiana and is recruiting at every position.
Selling a New Program
Craig said recruits have asked the staff about the program’s stability. He recounted one prospect asking how likely the program was to fold before he graduated, a question Craig said had been suggested to the player by other schools during the recruiting process.
Craig said South Alabama’s commitment to football is evident in the money being invested in facilities and the campus, and that the commitment will help the Jaguars attract recruits.
Asked about players who have verbally committed to other programs, Craig said some prospects commit to a particular coach or style of play, while many commit to the school itself and are unlikely to change their decision.
South Alabama’s football program, approved in December 2007, is scheduled to play its first season in 2009 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
