Projected depth chart shows the size of Southern Miss rebuild under new head coach
Spring football is finally approaching for Charles Huff and the Golden Eagles.
Southern Miss will take the field under the first-year coach on March 17 with a roster that will include more than 40 new faces. To add to the five high school players signed before the arrival of Huff and staff, the new administration made quick work in the transfer portal with the addition of 38 four-year transfers.
Competition is wide open among the newcomers and returnees and the spring practice slate will serve as a key evaluation period for a team that has been rapidly transformed utilizing new-era opportunities.
We take an educated guess at what the depth chart could look like in the coming weeks in preparation for the new names and the plentiful position battles that await. Huff’s first spring game is scheduled for April 12.
You can find a full breakdown of who is in and who is out at USM at SunHerald.com.
Returning players are in bold and transfers are in italics.
QB
- Braylon Braxton
- John White -or-
- Landry Lyddy
Braxton may be the earliest announced starting quarterback among teams without an incumbent after Huff introduced him at the USM vs Marshall basketball game as “your starting quarterback.” White and UAB transfer Lyddy are heading to a battle for the backup role.
RB
- Robert Briggs -or-
- Jalen Washington -or-
- Jeffery Pittman -or-
- Matt Jones
- Moses Gray Jr
The running back room will be almost completely flipped with Washington serving as the lone holdover. Briggs, Davis and Pittman all have FBS playing time under their belts. This position group has a long battle ahead as it features four different potential RB1s.
WR
- Ti Mims
- Elijah Metcalf
- Grant Page
WR
- Larry Simmons
- Micah Davis
- Tychaun Chapman
- Davis Dalton
WR
- Chuck Montgomery
- Carl Chester
- Bralon Brown
Southern Miss has loaded up on skill and will spend the spring sorting it out. There’s no real order among the top six, so expect the battle to leak into the fall. Micah Davis could also be a contributor here.
TE
- Kyirin Heath
- Reed Jesiolowski
- Connor Gooding (HS) -or-
- Shane King (HS)
Retaining Heath and Jesiolowski are two of Huff’s biggest recruiting wins, thus far. Jesiolowski brings a lot of athleticism and Heath proved to be one of the better route runners and pass-catchers on the team a year ago.
OT
- Hayes Creel
- Aaryn Parks
- Larry Edwards
OG
- Klabron Pollard
- Luke Rogers
C
- Drew Lawson
- Cooper Frazier
- Broderick Roman
OG
- Jez Janvier
- Aoali’i Maui -or-
OT
- Christian Anderson -or-
- Greg Nunnery
- Chris Hayes
A retooling of the offensive line has long been in order and the staff has quickly done just that. A few key players were brought back and given fresh competition from around the country. The battle at center between Lawson and Frazier will be one to watch, as will the impact of Anderson from Alabama A&M at tackle.
DL
- Jameer Lewis -or-
- JJ Hawkins -or-
- J’Mond Tapp
IDL
- Broadarius Lewis
- Caleb Moore
IDL
- Armondous Cooley
- Isaiah Gibson
DL
- Eric Thomas -or-
- Jabari Ishmael
- Iliyas Fuavai
The return of Lewis and Cooley gives the Eagles a powerful defensive tackle duo only bolstered by the addition of Gibson. Competition will be heavy on the ends.
LB
- Mike Montgomery
- Kolbe Cage
LB
- Chris Jones
- Avery Sledge
- Mathis Haygood
Depth is lacking at linebacker for now, but former FCS Freshman All-American Montgomery combined with true sophomore Jones makes it arguably the top position group on the team.
CB
- Josh Moten
- Ishmael Ibraheem -or-
- Johnathan Pennix
NB
- Ian Foster
- Guylijah Theodule
S
- Ahmere Foster
- Dylan King (juco)
- Dominick Hill
S
- Josh Battle
- Malik Caswell -or-
- Cam Knox
- Dylan Ruffin (HS)
CB
- Brendan Toles
- Anthony Richard
- Josh Bledsoe
There are will be a lot of new names for fans to learn out of the defensive backfield, but Moten and Ahmere Foster will be the first. Moten is one of college football’s top coverage corners and Foster earned starting roles in his first two years at Marshall.
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 1:46 PM.
