MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football is two practices into its first spring under coach Joey Jones, with 105 players on the field and the staff installing blitz packages and the passing game while players work in shorts.
Jones discussed the opening of spring practice Wednesday on the Joey Jones Show at Wings Sports Grill on Airport Boulevard. Regular host Lee Shirvanian was returning with the South Alabama men’s basketball team, which lost to Western Kentucky in the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game Tuesday night.
Opening Days
Jones said players were eager to finally take the field. NCAA rules require two or three days in shorts before teams can practice in pads. Jones said players are experiencing some soreness from moving in new ways on the field, but nothing like what will come once full contact begins.
Roster Management
South Alabama has 105 players in spring practice, with about 30 more arriving in August. Because NCAA rules allow teams to begin preseason practice with 105 players, the staff will need to trim the roster.
Each position coach has a target number. At receiver, for example, the Jaguars plan to carry eight scholarship players plus about six others, roughly 14 in all, which means the current group must be reduced by about nine to make room for incoming freshmen. Jones said the staff wants fairly even numbers across positions to practice effectively, though it could keep an extra player at one position if that player is more valuable there.
Balancing Classes
Jones said he is focused on keeping class sizes even, pointing to programs such as South Florida and Florida Atlantic that signed large numbers early and then lost about 40 seniors at once, leading to a drop-off. South Alabama’s first class includes junior college players who will graduate in two years and freshmen who will graduate in four. Jones said the staff will be more selective next year and may sign about 25 players or fewer.
Learning From Schnellenberger
Jones said he has looked to Florida Atlantic and coach Howard Schnellenberger for guidance in launching South Alabama’s program. Jones and two assistants visited Florida Atlantic, meeting mainly with Schnellenberger’s assistants but also spending an hour with Schnellenberger, who coached at Miami, served as an assistant at Alabama under Paul “Bear” Bryant and has started or restarted several programs.
Practice Approach
Passing Emphasis in Shorts
Asked about a Mobile Press-Register report that the spring would emphasize passing over running, Jones said teams cannot run full-team plays with complete blocking in shorts, but the staff still must install the running game. He noted that players can throw on their own in summer 7-on-7 work, but will not work on the running game without coaches present.
Defense Starts With Blitzes
On defense, the Jaguars are installing many blitz packages rather than starting with the base 3-4 run defense, since contact is limited. Jones said his approach is to introduce a lot of material first and break it down later. Teaching blitzes early also forces the offensive linemen to learn how to block them, and Jones said players are asking more questions as a result, which helps them understand the concepts when coaches revisit them.
Special Teams
Jones said about one of every six plays in a game involves special teams, so the staff devotes about 20 minutes per practice to that phase. The team has worked on the punt unit the past two days, which Jones called the area most likely to cost a team a game, and will begin field goal work Thursday. South Alabama has two kickers on scholarship.
Jones said he uses scripted plays, including plays designed to get the ball into the hands of playmakers who can change a game.
Budget and Ticket Outlook
Asked about the economy’s effect on the program, Jones said the budget will be trimmed somewhat, but the initial investment in equipment, practice fields and the field house was already in place. The discussion also noted that South Alabama season tickets are affordable compared with the cost of tickets, fuel and lodging for games at Alabama or Auburn.
South Alabama opens its first football season this fall at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
