MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama will open spring football practice Thursday at 6 a.m., making the Jaguars one of the earliest programs in the country to begin spring drills as they prepare for their first season as a full member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.
The first workout will be a two-hour session in shorts and helmets. The spring schedule includes 15 practices and concludes with the annual Red-Blue Game on Saturday, April 6, at 2 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Schedule
Nine of the 15 practices are scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. Saturday practices are generally set for 9:45 a.m., with one 9 a.m. session, and Sunday practices begin at 3 p.m. The team will take a break during the university’s spring break the week of March 18. The Red-Blue Game is the only spring session scheduled off campus. All dates and times are tentative.
- Thursday, Feb. 28, 6 a.m. (helmets)
- Saturday, March 2, 9 a.m.
- Sunday, March 3, 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 5, 6 a.m.
- Thursday, March 7, 6 a.m. (scrimmage)
- Tuesday, March 19, 6 a.m.
- Thursday, March 21, 6 a.m.
- Saturday, March 23, 9:45 a.m.
- Sunday, March 24, 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 26, 6 a.m.
- Thursday, March 28, 6 a.m.
- Saturday, March 30, 2:45 p.m. (scrimmage)
- Tuesday, April 2, 6 a.m.
- Thursday, April 4, 6 a.m.
- Saturday, April 6, 2 p.m., Red-Blue Game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium
Injuries and Roster Changes
Seven players will be held out of some or all of spring practice because of injuries. Ucambre Williams and Shaun Artz are both recovering from surgery and will not practice. Defensive backs Anthony Harris and Montell Garner, defensive lineman Randon Carnathan, running back Desmond Jones and tight end Jared Palmer are expected to miss at least part of spring drills.
Offensive lineman DaMon Husband, a 6-foot-1, 340-pound former Williamson High School standout, has told head coach Joey Jones he will no longer play football. Husband will remain at the university to continue working toward his degree.
Defensive lineman Ceasare Johnson, who missed all of last season with a blood clot, is expected to be ready for Thursday’s opening practice. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Johnson redshirted in 2011 after transferring from Coahoma (Miss.) Community College, where he recorded 70 tackles, 51 solo, and six sacks as a sophomore. He was voted the most improved defensive lineman last spring before developing blood clots ahead of fall camp.
Roster and Quarterbacks
South Alabama expects 96 players on its spring roster, 55 on offense and 41 on defense. The largest position groups are the offensive line, with 16 players, and wide receiver, with 15.
Ross Metheny returns as the starting quarterback. With C.J. Bennett having transferred, five quarterbacks are on the spring roster, including Brandon Bridge, who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules, along with Trey Fetner, Grant Powell and Kolt Peavey.
New Defensive Staff
The coaching changes this spring are all on defense. Kevin Sherrer takes over as defensive coordinator and will also coach the defensive backs, replacing Bill Clark, who left to become head coach at Jacksonville State. Travis Pearson will coach the inside linebackers, and Freddie Roach will coach the defensive ends and outside linebackers. Brian Turner, the only returning defensive assistant, will coach the interior defensive line.
“On defense, it will be about getting our guys out there working together. We’ve got a great staff, guys who care about each other and the whole staff, but we need to get them to know our players and our players get to know them,” Jones said. “Obviously we’ll have some changes with a new staff coming in, and we will implement those, but it’s very similar to what we’ve done so they are not wholesale changes at all.”
“The number one thing I was looking for on defense was hiring a great coordinator, and we did that with Kevin Sherrer,” Jones said. “Then we wanted to hire a couple of energetic guys up front because I felt that Kevin could coach the secondary extremely well. We needed someone to coach the hybrid position, the drop end so to speak, and I expect Freddie to do a great job with that.”
Second Offensive Line Coach
Jones is also moving Chase Smith to work with the offensive line alongside offensive coordinator Robert Matthews.
“Putting in a spread offense took time the first year, and now that our staff has been together a year they know each other and the players know what to expect from the coaches,” Jones said. “The whole key for us is to just get better. We have to get better on offense to have a chance next fall.”
“Having two offensive line coaches is really going to help us, and it will also allow Robert to move around and watch receivers, running backs and quarterbacks, which will help him from the overall standpoint of coaching the offense,” Jones said.
“We’re looking forward to it,” Jones said. “I’m real excited about our staff and the prospects we have for the future.”
