Meet the 5 newcomers who will make a big impact for Southern Miss football
Fall practice is quickly approaching for Southern Miss and head coach Will Hall. A mass infusion of talent in the spring will turn into heated position battles in August.
Hall’s staff brought in a healthy mix of high school, junior college and transfer portal players to beef out what was a dangerously thin roster.
Among those additions, many have a chance to make an early impact on the field this season.
Here are the newcomers to watch for in 2022.
The USM wide out room is dripping with potential. A carousel of quarterbacks and a statistical mess of an offensive line put a serious limitation on the receivers in 2021. Jason Brownlee and his game-changing catch radius was the only impactful pass-catching option the offense could routinely rely on.
It is a new year, though. Receivers like Jakarius Caston and even Brownlee are in for much-improved seasons. The depth, size and skill that a 6-foot-2 junior college transfer in Jones brings to the outside of the formation will only serve to spread the field even further.
His addition and presence has the potential to open running lanes for Frank Gore, Jr, create more one-on-one situations for Brownlee and simply make life easier for quarterback Ty Keyes.
Dean arrived in time for spring ball by way of the transfer portal from Mississippi State. A defensive back for the Bulldogs who was once a highly sought after prospect, Dean has made the transition over to running back for the Golden Eagles.
Dean quickly rose up the ladder of the running back depth chart and was the primary back in the final scrimmage of the spring. The sophomore figures to be in the lead to be one of Gore’s primary spells.
There is precedent for Dean’s transition in the Sun Belt, too. Former South Carolina defensive back Jamyest Williams transferred to Georgia State ahead of the 2020 season and has since rushed for over 1,000 yards in 21 games as the No. 2 back in the offense.
Southern Miss is entering the new year with plenty of familiar faces at linebacker and in the secondary. The defensive front is a different story. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and company have eight new defensive linemen to work with on finding three brand new starters on the front-end of the multiple-look defense.
Bivens has a strong chance to fill up the nose tackle position thanks to 471 snaps of SEC football at Ole Miss. As a senior with two seasons left to play, Bivens may be the most technical and mechanically sound option in the middle of the line.
The defense isn’t hurting for depth at Armstrong’s STAR position, but the addition of Knight from Ole Miss gives the unit some serious talent at that spot.
Camron Harrell has played the position well and figures to still play a significant role regardless of how the battle at USM’s nickle-hybrid position ends.
But Knight brings a unique level of versatility to the defense. A running back for his first two seasons as a Rebel, Knight cracked their defensive rotation last year and played 255 snaps, recording 37 tackles. He’s got the explosiveness and coverage ability needed to effectively play the STAR position while also having an impact on special teams.
Even with Natrone Brooks and Eric Scott returning at corner, snaps are still open for the taking with the departure of Rachuan Mitchell. In steps Caraway out of junior college to fill that gap.
Caraway had an offer to play at Arkansas out of Pearl River CC but chose to stay home and play at USM. He’s got good size for his position at 6-foot-2 and adds instant depth to a group that could be among the top set of defensive backs in the Sun Belt.
Names to watch
- Brodarius Lewis - Another JUCO addition, Lewis will be a key fall challenger at one of the defensive end spots.
- Daylen Gill - The Golden Eagles have strength at linebacker, but the Ole Miss transfer may surprise fans with playing time in the middle of the field.
- Jalen Williams - Unable to breakthrough at Arkansas and plagued by an injury, the 310-pound defensive lineman has been grabbing the attention of the USM staff with his size and strength since arriving.
- Armondous Cooley - Similar to Williams, Cooley is an SEC transfer without a snap of college ball played. But it’s his size and power on the defensive line that may earn him his first real reps this season.
