5 Southern Miss players who have shown this spring they’re ready to make an impact in ’21
With first-year head coach Will Hall injecting a badly needed dose of positive energy at Southern Miss, there’s plenty to be upbeat about as the team prepares to wrap up its fourth week of spring practice.
On the field, there will be plenty for Hall and staff to address headed into the summer. There are areas where USM lacks ideal depth (including both lines and running back), but nothing that would seem to keep the team from competing with much of Conference USA.
There are several first-year players who have a shot to show they can make a difference in 2021 once they arrive on campus this summer, including freshman quarterback Ty Keyes and Memphis transfer defensive end Everitt Cunningham.
Thus far in the spring, several players have proven that they can have a significant impact on the team this season — some new, some old.
Five players who fit that description include:
▪ Jacques Turner, redshirt senior defensive end — It should come as little surprise that Turner is again ready to take on a major role for the Golden Eagles, but you never know how a player responds after sitting out an entire season. The D’Iberville native decided to forego the 2020 season and intended to transfer. Along with fellow senior Racheem Boothe, Hall convinced Turner to come back for one more season. After USM struggled to get consistent pressure on the quarterback last year, Turner has shown this spring that he’s ready to fill that role again. A year after USM averaged just under three sacks a game, that average dipped to about 1 1/2 sacks in 2020. If Turner fulfills his potential at defensive end, the USM defensive front can take a significant leap forward in that area. He has 14 1/2 career sacks entering 2021. He still has some learning to do in the new scheme, but he has shown that he may be ready to take it up another notch.
▪ Darius Maberry, redshirt junior running back — After battling through several hurdles at USM, including a knee injury as a freshman, Maberry has begun to show the potential the old staff saw in him as a young player. After injuries mounted at running back in 2020, the Clinton native took advantage of his opportunities and ran 67 times for 325 yards and two touchdowns. As the only other running back outside of freshman Frank Gore Jr. who has shown he can consistently run between the tackles, the 5-foot-9, 196-pound Maberry appears ready to produce in Hall’s offense. Running backs coach Jordy Joseph sees Maberry as being the most similar to the backs he and Hall worked with at Tulane. Like Gore, he offers enough versatility at the position to guarantee himself playing time. He’s had to fill in as Gore has battled through injuries for much of the spring.
▪ Da’Quan Bailey-Brown, junior receiver — Hall has been in Bailey-Brown’s ear for much of the spring, and that shows how important he believes the Dodge City (Kansas) Community College transfer can be to the USM offense this season. Bailey-Brown is a slot receiver who may also factor into the kick return game. USM returns a solid receiving group in Jason Brownlee, Demarcus Jones and Antoine Robinson, but they need someone else who can create something after the catch. Bailey-Brown appears ready to do just that.
▪ Natrone Brooks, junior cornerback — USM defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong wants his corners to be able to play man-to-man coverage, and Brooks has often been going up against Brownlee in practice. No cornerback has drawn more praise from Hall this spring than Brooks thanks to some athletic interceptions during team drills. If Brooks, Eric Scott, Cam Harrell and Jermaine Roberson show they can play man coverage, that’ll be a big boost to the defense as a whole.
▪ Trey Lowe III, redshirt sophomore quarterback — All reviews this spring have been positive for Lowe as he tries to prove he can be the man behind center. Lowe has the arm strength to make most of the throws, and he’s been making good decisions throughout the spring. This is Lowe’s first full football spring practice after juggling baseball during his high school career and at West Virginia. This spring is invaluable to his development, and we should have a good idea if he’s capable of taking charge early during the 2021 campaign.
5 more Southern Miss players worthy of mention
Five more players who have had solid springs include Sophomore linebacker Averie Habas, graduate senior tight end Grayson Gunter, redshirt junior cornerback Eric Scott Jr., junior offensive tackle Tykeem Doss and redshirt sophomore linebacker Hayes Maples.
Hall pointed to Habas and Gunter Thursday as two players who have surpassed his expectations. Like Brooks, Scott has shown he can go man-to-man in coverage. The switch from guard to left tackle seems to be a natural move for Doss, who has shown he can pave the way in the ground game. Maples would likely be in the first group of five if not for being limited by an injury late this spring.
The USM spring game is set for 9:30 a.m. on March 27 at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 1:33 PM.
