QBs impress in final Southern Miss spring football practice as battle heads to fall
The quarterback race in Hattiesburg hasn’t yet reached the finish line.
Southern Miss finished the spring practice period with a final scrimmage on Saturday, giving fans a first-hand look at the quarterbacks battling for the snap of the season.
Ethan Hampton, Landry Lyddy and John White all got extensive action, but Blake Anderson isn’t yet ready to commit to one.
“It’s too hard to tell,” Anderson said when asked if there was a leader. “Their numbers are almost identical across the board. It’s going to be a really tough decision, which, that’s their job to make it hard. We’re not there yet and don’t have to be.”
Hampton was the first quarterback on the field in the final scrimmage and put up the best numbers of the group. He missed on his first two attempts, but then connected on each of his remaining seven pass attempts for an unofficial 158 yards and two touchdowns.
He had four completions of more than 25 yards. MJ Johnson caught a 27-yard touchdown pass and Illinois transfer Mario Sanders was on the receiving end of a 39-yard scoring toss.
Returning backup Landry Lyddy also got reps with the first team and completed three of his five attempts.
His best came on a 35-yard touchdown to Sanders. White operated with the second team, completing two of five passes and the lone interception of the day by Tulsa transfer Champ Lewis.
“They’ve all proven they can make the throws in this offense to be explosive, and we made some of those throws today,” Anderson said. “They have made good decisions and processed quickly.”
Anderson said the offense will not look considerably different from early last season. The only change is offensive coordinator Kyle Cefalo will be calling plays and not Anderson.
Otherwise, the biggest on-field change is the personnel.
“We have a different personality, our quarterback is a little bit different and some of the other pieces are a little bit different,” Anderson said. “(Cefalo) is using everybody. It’s being spread around equally, which is when we’re the most dangerous, in my opinion.”
Southern Miss will add a handful of high school players over the summer. Among them is D’Iberville defensive lineman KJ Washington, who will reunite with fellow Warrior Caleb Triplett in the front six of the Golden Eagles’ 4-2-5 defense.
Anderson also expects to fill a few more spots via Division II transfers in the coming weeks.
Southern Miss opens the season Sept. 5 at home against Alcorn State.
