MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama practiced in full pads for the first time this spring Thursday morning, a two-hour session built around competitive drills.
Drill Work
The workout included one-on-one matchups pitting offensive linemen against defensive linemen, running backs and tight ends against linebackers, and wide receivers against defensive backs. The Jaguars also ran 7-on-7 skeleton passing and about 15 minutes of inside work involving the offensive front against the defensive line, linebackers and safeties.
About 35 minutes of team drills focused mainly on third-down situations, with an overall emphasis on blitzes and formations. The special teams period centered on punt coverage, including punt-block work.
Jones Pleased With Competition
Head coach Joey Jones said the players brought energy to the first padded practice.
“There was a lot of spirit today, the guys were getting after it. You like that as a coach, because you don’t want to push them forward, you’d rather rein them in, and I think that’s where we were today,” Jones said. “There was some great competition out there, we set it up to run a lot of competitive drills all day long and I thought they reacted well.”
Standouts
Jones singled out the defensive line, including Randon Carnathan, along with linebacker Jake Johnson. On offense, he pointed to wide receiver Greg Hollinger and quarterback C.J. Bennett.
“I thought the defensive line as a whole stood out, and Randon Carnathan is playing really well in that group,” Jones said. “Our linebackers were flying around, I saw Jake Johnson make some plays. Offensively I believe that Greg Hollinger stood out today at wide receiver, and C.J. Bennett is playing real well; I think he has really learned the offense, he’s getting rid of the ball quickly and making plays when he has to. I’ve been real proud of him.”
Up Next
South Alabama closes its first week of spring drills Saturday with a 9 a.m. practice. Jones said the session will be mostly a regular practice with about 30 plays of team work at the end, adding that the team is not yet ready for a full scrimmage. The Jaguars’ spring game is scheduled for March 26.
