Jared Hollins Named South Alabama Starting Quarterback Ahead of Short Week at Arkansas State

MOBILE, Ala. — Jared Hollins is officially the South Alabama starting quarterback. Jaguars head coach Major Applewhite confirmed at his weekly press conference Monday that the former Mary G. Montgomery standout has earned the job, and Hollins will lead the offense when South Alabama travels to Jonesboro, Ark., for a Thursday night Sun Belt Conference game at Arkansas State.

The announcement came as the Jaguars turned the page quickly from their most productive offensive outing of the season. South Alabama beat Louisiana-Monroe 52-35 on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium, and now has just four days to recover, prepare and travel for a 6:30 p.m. Central kickoff on Thursday, Oct. 8. The game will be televised nationally.

Applewhite: Hollins Has Earned the South Alabama Starting Quarterback Job

Asked Monday whether Hollins had established himself as the Jaguars’ starter, Applewhite answered directly.

“He has, he has. And we’re just going to continue like any other position. We’re going to play the very best player that we can. It’s part of playing that position.”

Hollins, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior, has started South Alabama’s last three games. He took over after Bishop Davenport, who started the first two games of the season, was injured in the Jaguars’ loss at Tulane. Hollins then started the home win over Ohio, the road loss at Kentucky and Saturday’s win over ULM.

With both quarterbacks now healthy, Applewhite — who also serves as the team’s offensive coordinator — chose to stay with Hollins. Davenport was not listed on the Sun Belt Conference’s official availability report last week, and Applewhite made clear the senior still has a role.

“But that doesn’t mean that we won’t use Bishop in situations,” Applewhite said.

What Separated Hollins

Applewhite said the decision was less about what either quarterback had or had not done and more about the specific traits he wants at the position. Protecting the football sits at the top of that list.

“It’s not so much what one person hasn’t done or what a person has done, (Hollins is) taking care of the football, and that’s what we’re going to play here. Guys that can take care of the football, guys that can hit the shots when they’re open — it’s hard to get people open — and guys that can make plays off schedule, whether that’s through your (arm) or whether that’s through your feet, that’s kind of what we’re going to look at when we’re looking at that position.”

He added that the job also requires intangibles: “Being able to manage your huddle, being able to understand the play clock. You know, understand situations.”

Applewhite said part of that responsibility falls on the coaching staff. “That’s more me and coaching, helping guys understand those situations,” he said. “But can you take care of the ball? Can you hit them when they’re wide open? And when (the defense has) a better play call than us, how do you take care of the ball and how do you play off schedule?”

Hollins’ Big Night Against ULM

Hollins made his strongest case yet on Saturday night. He passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns against ULM, and all three scoring throws went for big yardage — 72, 35 and 69 yards.

• On South Alabama’s second offensive play, Hollins hit Brendan Jenkins for a 72-yard touchdown.
• He later found Mobile native Anthony Eager for touchdowns of 35 and 69 yards.
• Eager finished with four catches for 168 yards.

The 52 points were a season high for the Jaguars. Our full recap of the homecoming win is available in our earlier coverage of South Alabama’s 52-35 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.

A Local Quarterback in Charge

Hollins’ promotion gives South Alabama a starting quarterback from its own backyard. Mary G. Montgomery High School is in Semmes, in western Mobile County, a short drive from the Jaguars’ campus. His top target against ULM, Anthony Eager, is also a Mobile native.

Applewhite, a former Texas quarterback who later served as head coach at Houston, is in his second season leading South Alabama and calls the offensive plays himself. That dual role puts him at the center of the quarterback decision — and, as he put it Monday, at the center of helping his quarterbacks handle situations.

By the Numbers: Hollins vs. Davenport

Here is how South Alabama’s two quarterbacks compare through five games this season:

• Jared Hollins: 50 of 82 passing (60.9%), 779 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions; 23 carries for 68 yards and no rushing touchdowns.
• Bishop Davenport: 40 of 59 passing (67.8%), 450 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions; 20 carries for 73 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Davenport, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior from Spring, Texas, started all 12 games last season. In 2025 he threw for 2,072 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions, and he ran for 326 yards and nine touchdowns. He originally signed with Utah State before transferring to South Alabama.

Hollins’ first career start came in the 41-36 win over Ohio, covered in our story on Hollins winning his first start.

A Short Week: ‘You Don’t Just Show Up to the Track Meet’

The Thursday night game compresses South Alabama’s normal weekly routine into a few days. Applewhite used an Olympic comparison to explain to his players what the short week demands.

“You know, it’s just you don’t just show up to the track meet and perform. You know, I talked to those guys a little bit about Olympians. They trained three, four years for that moment. If you want to have a great moment on Thursday, you gotta train three, four days, really well and invest in yourselves for that moment.”

Applewhite said the priority this week is caring for players’ bodies while making sure they understand Arkansas State and its schemes. The staff is not dwelling on Saturday’s game, good or bad.

“Take the good and the bad and ball it up real fast,” Applewhite said. “… Just move on fast and not be long-winded about things.”

Defense Goes Back to Fundamentals

Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said the short turnaround forced the staff to speed up a preparation process that normally takes several days. Instead of using a full Sunday to review the ULM game and begin work on the next opponent, the Jaguars went straight to Arkansas State.

“Everything just gets accelerated,” Orlando said Monday.

One issue could not wait: missed tackles. ULM scored 35 points and broke several explosive plays against South Alabama on Saturday. Orlando said the problem was finishing, not alignment.

“Guys are in position. We’ve just got to be able to finish plays,” he said.

Monday’s practice put an emphasis on tackling, with Orlando saying the defense spent less time on scheme and more time on fundamentals.

“We don’t shy away from the issues. We address them, tell the kids how to get better at them, and then you go out there, and you rep them.”

Scouting Arkansas State

Arkansas State enters Thursday at 2-3 overall and 0-1 in Sun Belt play, with both of its wins coming at home. Orlando described the Red Wolves’ offense as explosive.

Arkansas State quarterback Trey Owens, a transfer from Texas, has thrown for 1,043 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions in five games.

Orlando said he sees the matchup as an even one, though the road setting and the short week add difficulty.

“It’ll be a challenge for us,” Orlando said. “But, you know, I think we’re very, very evenly matched, team to team.”

Oddsmakers agree it is close: South Alabama is listed as a 1.5-point favorite.

Home Strength, Road Questions

South Alabama is 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the Sun Belt. All three of its wins have come at Hancock Whitney Stadium, making this the first time since 2022 that the Jaguars have won their first three home games.

The two losses both came on the road. The Jaguars fell 28-24 at Tulane, where Davenport was injured, and lost 45-21 at Kentucky in a game in which the Wildcats ran for 390 yards. Thursday’s trip to Jonesboro is a chance for South Alabama to collect its first road win of the season and move to 2-0 in conference play.

South Alabama’s 2026 Season So Far

• Win vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 39-14 (home)
• Loss at Tulane, 28-24
• Win vs. Ohio, 41-36 (home) — Hollins’ first start
• Loss at Kentucky, 45-21
• Win vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 52-35 (home, Sun Belt opener)

What Happens Next

The Jaguars will spend the next few days on a condensed schedule of recovery, film work and practice before traveling to Arkansas. Kickoff at Arkansas State is set for 6:30 p.m. Central on Thursday, Oct. 8, with a national television audience.

For Hollins, the trip offers a first start as the officially named QB1 — and a chance to show that the ball security and big-play ability Applewhite praised can travel. Davenport, healthy again, remains available for the situational role his coach described.

Update: Davenport Was Available During Hollins’ Starts

Bishop Davenport could have played if needed against Ohio, and he was available for the Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe games. Applewhite still chose to keep Hollins in as the starter in all three games. That suggests Hollins won the job by how he played, not just because Davenport was hurt.