South Alabama Jaguars Wrap Up First Week of Fall Camp Under Coach Applewhite

South Alabama closed out its first week of fall practices Saturday with the Jaguars’ second day of work in full pads. The roughly two-hour session was held in the heat and humidity at the program’s outdoor practice fields, part of the team’s buildup to its Sept. 5 season opener. Head coach Major Applewhite said he saw good things from a team that will open the season at 6 p.m. against Southeastern Louisiana at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The Jaguars finished 7-6 last season with an appearance in the 68 Ventures Bowl, and the program enters year two of the Applewhite era with heightened expectations in a Sun Belt Conference that continues to elevate its competitive profile.

Building Physicality Through the Pads

The Jags worked through all phases of the game Saturday, continuing the position-by-position competition Applewhite highlighted after Wednesday’s first practice. In many cases, players have been alternating between the first and second units, a rotation designed to give as many players as possible quality reps during camp. “You see most of the guys moving around the way we want them to move around in terms of violence, physicality and finish,” Applewhite said following the practice. “We’ve still got a long way to go as a team. I love the fact that there’s a vast majority of the guys, regardless of the elements and those things, given that they’re all being physical.”

Applewhite noted the transition into contact drills is always an adjustment. “The first day in pads (Friday) was a little different,” he said. “There were some guys that after 15 days during the offseason of having no helmets on and touch football and things like that, your pad level can get up high. You get in some scenarios where you can’t hit people, and then all of a sudden you finally get in this opportunity (to make contact) and you’re unsure. Today was much better in terms of people getting in front of people, understanding what we’re trying to do with our practice and be physical, but not bringing people to the ground.”

The emphasis on physicality reflects a broader philosophical shift Applewhite has tried to instill since his hire in December 2022. The Jaguars ranked near the bottom of the Sun Belt in rushing defense and time of possession last season, metrics that Applewhite believes are foundational to winning conference games in November. Saturday’s practice included extended periods of inside run drills and one-on-one pass protection work, both designed to forge the toughness required for a league where games are often decided in the trenches.

A Retooled Defense Takes Shape

South Alabama lost several contributors from last season’s defense to graduation and the transfer portal, and new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has spent camp reshaping the unit. Orlando, who arrived from Texas State after a career that included stops at Houston, Utah State and USC, brings a multiple-front scheme that emphasizes disruption at the line of scrimmage. The Jaguars return experience at linebacker with veterans like Blayne Myrick and James Miller, but the defensive line and secondary feature numerous new faces competing for starting roles.

Orlando’s system asks defensive linemen to be more than gap-fillers. He wants penetration and quarterback pressure from interior players, not just edge rushers. That means the competition at defensive tackle and nose guard will be critical in the coming weeks. The coaching staff has been cross-training several players at multiple positions along the front to build depth and scheme versatility, a necessity given the grind of a Sun Belt schedule that includes road trips to Arkansas State, Troy and Louisiana.

The secondary presents perhaps the biggest question mark. The Jaguars must replace multiple starters at cornerback and safety, positions where communication and trust take months to develop. Orlando has simplified some coverage concepts for the early part of camp, allowing players to play fast while mastering the base rules. Transfer additions from Power Four programs have injected talent and experience, but the coaching staff remains cautious about projecting immediate cohesion against the up-tempo offenses that populate the conference.

Quarterback Competition Remains Open

On offense, the quarterback room remains a focal point. Gio Lopez, the sophomore who saw action in four games last season, enters camp with the most game experience. But transfer additions and returning players have kept the competition genuine through the first week. Applewhite has declined to name a starter, preferring to let the practices sort out the pecking order. The Jaguars’ offensive scheme under coordinator Bryant Vincent relies on tempo and RPO concepts that demand quick decision-making and mobility from the quarterback position.

The receiving corps returns leading target Jamaal Pritchett, who caught 53 passes for 789 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. His presence gives any quarterback a reliable security blanket on third downs and in the red zone. Tight end Lincoln Sefcik, a transfer from Wisconsin, adds a big-bodied target in the middle of the field. The running back room features a committee approach with Kentrel Bullock and Jarrett Harden among those vying for carries behind an offensive line that returns three starters.

Quarterback Room Depth and Development

Beyond Lopez, the quarterback room includes Bishop Davenport, a redshirt freshman who impressed in spring ball with his arm talent and poise, and transfer addition from a Power Five program who arrived in the summer. Vincent has structured practice reps to give each quarterback meaningful snaps with the first and second units, a departure from previous regimes where the starter was anointed early. The staff evaluates not just completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio, but command of the huddle, protection adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and situational awareness in two-minute drill scenarios.

Special Teams and Depth Building

Special teams coordinator Rob Keys has used the early practices to evaluate return specialists and coverage units. The Jaguars ranked near the middle of the Sun Belt in net punting and kickoff return average last season, areas the staff wants to improve. Walk-ons and younger scholarship players have gotten extended looks on coverage teams, a typical camp strategy to identify contributors who might not see offensive or defensive snaps but can earn playing time on Saturdays.

Depth development has been a consistent theme in Applewhite’s public comments. The Jaguars’ roster construction in the transfer portal era means many positions feature players in their first year with the program. Getting those players up to speed on terminology, practice tempo and scheme nuances is as important as the physical work. Applewhite has emphasized that the second and third units will see significant action in the upcoming scrimmages, which serve as the closest simulation to game conditions before the opener.

Looking Ahead to the Season Opener

South Alabama opens the 2024 campaign on Sept. 5 against Southeastern Louisiana, an FCS program from the Southland Conference that went 3-8 last year. The Lions visit Hancock Whitney Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff that will be televised on ESPN+. The game marks the first meeting between the programs since 2013, when the Jaguars were still transitioning to FBS. A week later, South Alabama travels to Ohio for a Saturday afternoon matchup against the MAC’s Bobcats before returning home to face North Texas in the Sun Belt opener.

The early schedule offers a measured ramp-up before conference play intensifies in October. Applewhite’s staff will use the non-conference slate to continue evaluating personnel combinations, particularly on defense where Orlando’s scheme requires communication and trust that only live repetitions can build. The Jaguars finished 7-6 last season with a bowl appearance, and the program’s stated goal remains competing for a Sun Belt championship and a return to the postseason.

Fall camp continues through August with two-a-day sessions giving way to game-week preparation as the calendar turns to September. The coaching staff plans at least two full scrimmages before the opener, typically held at Hancock Whitney Stadium to acclimate players to the stadium environment. For now, the focus remains on fundamentals, competition and the daily grind that defines August in Mobile.

Program Trajectory and Conference Landscape

The Sun Belt has emerged as one of the strongest Group of Five conferences in recent years, with multiple teams regularly challenging Power Four opponents in non-conference play. South Alabama’s 2023 victory over Oklahoma State in Stillwater served notice that the Jaguars can compete with anyone on their day, but consistency remains the benchmark for a program that has not won a conference championship since joining the FBS ranks. Applewhite’s recruiting classes have trended upward in national rankings, and the transfer portal has allowed the staff to address immediate needs at premium positions.

Hancock Whitney Stadium, which opened in 2020, provides a modern home-field advantage that the program is still learning to maximize. The 25,450-seat venue has seen attendance grow steadily, and the Sept. 5 opener against Southeastern Louisiana is expected to draw a near-capacity crowd for the first night game of the season. The atmosphere, combined with the Gulf Coast humidity that visiting teams often struggle to simulate in practice, gives South Alabama a tangible edge in the early going.

As camp progresses, the narrative will shift from position battles to game-plan installation. The first scrimmage, typically held around the two-week mark, serves as the initial stress test for Orlando’s defense and Vincent’s offense under game-like conditions. Applewhite has said publicly that he wants to see the team respond to adversity — bad calls, turnovers, momentum swings — before the lights come on for real. The next three weeks will reveal whether the Jaguars have taken the next step toward that goal.