An in-depth look at Southern Miss football as Will Hall wraps up his 1st spring practice
Will Hall’s first four months as the Southern Miss football coach have been spent installing a new attention to detail and providing a jolt of positive energy for a program that’s suffered 10 losses over the last 13 games.
After wrapping up his first spring practice at USM with a Saturday session at M.M. Roberts Stadium, Hall’s most important task ahead may be engaging the fan base and getting them back in the bleachers on game day.
The former Tulane offensive coordinator wanted to get a message across to the 800 or so fans that were on hand, and he did it by asking his entire team to turn around from midfield and wave to the fans in the west bleachers.
“We just want people to know we’re here to lift Hattiesburg and the surrounding area up,” Hall said. “We’re not just a football team. We want to be a ray of light for the whole area. We want to give them something to believe in, something hope for, rally around.
“We appreciate the people here today. We want more people to come and they’re going to. I understand that people out there that say, ‘Boy, when they start winning, we’ll come.’ That’s kind of like going up to a girl and saying, ‘You know what, I’ll start liking you if you start liking me.’ How about we both just like each other at the same time and we’ll get this thing off and running?”
Hall is determined to make sure his upbeat approach to his job permeates all aspects of the program, and that includes the USM faithful.
“You see a lot of things going on in the world where there’s a lot of people with hate in their heart,” Hall said. “We want to give people hope. We want to give people reason to believe in something and see people working together because they love each other.”
All spring, Hall made clear to his players that he demanded the right attitude all times.
“You have to buy into it,” freshman running back Frank Gore Jr. said. “The other day, he got on me and I needed that. He talks to me all the time. He’s a very genuine person. You understand what he’s saying is coming from the heart. You want to listen to him.”
USM players on the rise
When asked which players he believed had standout springs, Hall rattled off several names.
▪ Khalique Washington, a redshirt senior who switched from left to right tackle this spring.
▪ Gerquan Scott, a redshirt freshman who ended the spring as the first-string left guard.
▪ Grayson Gunter, a redshirt senior tight end who Hall said has surpassed his expectations.
▪ Eric Scott Jr., a redshirt junior who made a strong case to start at corner in the fall.
▪ Jay Stanley, who should see time at safety after transferring in from Ole Miss as a redshirt sophomore.
▪ Swayze Boseman, a senior linebacker who was held out of Saturday’s practice with one foot in a walking boot.
▪ Dominic Quewon, a junior defensive end who Hall believes can be an effective pass rusher.
▪ Averie Habas, a sophomore linebacker Hall believes can take a significant leap forward after an inconsistent 2020 season.
Key USM injuries
Several players were held out of Saturday’s practice, including junior slot receiver Da’Quan Bailey-Brown and redshirt sophomore linebacker Hayes Maples.
Both players were having outstanding springs, but they suffered unspecified injuries and appear to be in some danger of missing the Sept. 4 season opener at South Alabama.
Bailey-Brown wasn’t anywhere to be seen on Saturday and Maples was on crutches with a brace on his left knee.
Hall did not say what type of injury Bailey-Brown suffered.
“(Bailey-Brown) had a bad injury, but he has a chance to be back by the fall,” Hall said. “He’s an unbelievable human being. Right when he got hurt, he was texting me, saying, ‘Tell the guys God has got a plan. I believe in that plan. I’m going to be better because of this.’ That’s the mentality we want to build with these kids.”
Hall said that Maples may be cleared to return from his apparent knee injury by September.
Other players who missed practice on Saturday with unspecified injuries — tight end Mitchell Sellers, linebacker Michael Pleas Jr., defensive tackle Tahj Sykes, linebacker Swayze Boseman and cornerback Camron Harrell.
USM’s offensive line
Sophomore guard Coker Wright should join the mix in fall camp after missing the spring, but a solid first-string offensive line appeared to come into focus this spring.
▪ Left tackle — Junior Tykeem Doss.
▪ Left guard — Redshirt freshman Gerquan Scott.
▪ Center — Redshirt senior Arvin Fletcher.
▪ Right guard — Senior Bryce Foxworth.
▪ Right tackle — Senior Khalique Washington.
Southern Miss quarterback situation
Although he admitted he didn’t have his best practice of the spring on Saturday, it seems obvious that redshirt sophomore Trey Lowe III will leave the spring atop the depth chart at quarterback.
Lowe mostly made the right decisions and showed good arm strength. He operates with a maturity that redshirt freshman transfer Tee Webb will have to develop with time.
Hall wants to keep the competition open at this point.
“They’re two really talented guys that can throw. They’re really smart,” Hall said. “Lowe has really come on as a leader and his attention to detail has been unbelievable. He had a great spring throughout. Tee has really gotten better every day. He had a nice day again today. You can see the touch he has on his passes. He has a smooth delivery. He’ll only get better as he throws. I’m excited about getting (Taylorsville product) Ty Keyes in this summer.”
This story was originally published March 27, 2021 at 1:38 PM.
