Southern Miss opens fall camp to kick off year two under coach Will Hall
Southern Miss has opened fall camp with a much different spirit than a year ago.
The 2022 roster under Will Hall is nearly maxed out and players on both sides of the ball, as well as the coaching staff, have noticed a sizable difference in the health of the team.
That was the theme of the day following fall practice No. 1 on Friday as Hall and others noted the difference in depth of talent the Golden Eagles have now from the end of last season.
“We’re able to run three full groups in team periods on the line of scrimmage, which is a real college practice,” Hall said after Friday’s opening practice of fall camp. “That’s a huge step forward for our program ... you can see us transitioning from a coach-led team to a player-led team.”
That depth showed up in both returning players and newcomers. Returning wide receiver Zay Franks drew praise from Hall for making several catches in one-on-one situations, as did Ole Miss transfer Tylan Knight for his quick transition into the defense.
Hall has stressed that it’s not just bodies on the field USM has now, but real FBS-level skill all the way down the roster that the program has badly lacked in recent years.
“The biggest difference is talent,” Hall said of this year’s group. “It’s great to talk culture and all these cool words that everybody talks about, but at the end of the day players win games ... the biggest difference between us in year two from year one is we have a lot more good football players.”
Even the veterans on the roster have noticed the change and are welcoming in the new players with open arms. Safety Malik Shorts, who has 191 tackles as a Golden Eagle in three years, says the roster gives USM the ability to stay competitive throughout a long season.
“It’s totally difference because now we have all these new guys,” Shorts said. “Different sizes to different positions and it helps us. Now we have so much depth on defense on offense, we’re able to put guys in and play guys, therefore giving us a longer run down the stretch.”
Finding chemistry hasn’t been an issue for the team, either, thanks to the staff’s hyper-focus on recruiting the state of Mississippi. Southern Miss signed 16 high school and junior college players from in-state while also adding numerous Ole Miss and Mississippi State transfers in the 2022 recruiting class.
Knight is a prime example of the seamless transition many of the new arrivals have made.
“I feel like the chemistry is great,” Knight said. “I knew the majority of these boys before I even came here. A lot of these boys, they played with each other. It’s kind of like we’ve known each other, we just haven’t played together. So now it’s all coming together and it’s good to see.”
The cultural perception of the program from within has shifted dramatically from a year ago. Players are beginning to buy into the process and taking matters into their own hands.
Both quarterback Ty Keyes and receiver Jason Brownlee, two of the three bedrocks of Hall’s young program, have made strides in becoming leaders.
According to Hall, Brownlee was the first player in the building Friday, arriving at 5:30 in the morning and blaring music.
“(Brownlee) brings that energy every day,” Keyes said. “Last year, I didn’t see that type of JB coming in. But this year, he changed his mindset and his attitude and I love that about him. He’s going to be a great player.”
Southern Miss will have 13 more practices in preseason camp before classes begin on Aug. 22.
