Return of Payne, Parks should boost Southern Miss backfield
While much of the talk about Southern Miss football this summer has surrounded Nick Mullens and his emergence as one of the nation's top senior quarterbacks entering the 2016 season, there's also reason for buzz about the Golden Eagles' ground game.
Junior running back Ito Smith joins Mullens on the Maxwell Award watch list and the Mobile native has a shot to be the best among a talented group of running backs in Conference USA.
He led the Golden Eagles in rushing in 2015 with 171 carries for 1,128 yards and 10 touchdowns and finished fourth on the squad in receptions with 49 for 515 yards and three touchdowns. When the season came to a close, he ranked 18thin the nation in all-purpose yardage with an average of 134 yards a game.
While Smith will be the first option in the USM ground game, he is far from the only playmaker at running back for USM. If a pair of backs who missed the 2015 season with injuries can enter fall camp in full health, USM should have the deepest backfield in C-USA.
Payne and Parks
Redshirt sophomore Tez Parks sat out the 2015 season and spring practice with a knee injury. He was joined on the sideline in 2015 by George Payne, who also suffered a knee injury and wasn't quite 100 percent as he tried to practice during the spring.
First-year USM head coach Jay Hopson said Friday that both Payne and Parks appear to be in good health with fall camp fast approaching.
“George has really looked better this summer, gotten well,” Hopson said. “Tez worked hard and is looking good. It's a good thing to get those guys. We hope they can start camp and have a healthy August.”
The 6-foot, 207-pound Payne can bring added power to the USM backfield. While running behind an offensive line that struggled badly atimes in 2013 and 2014, Payne showed the potential of being the best option. He had a knack for getting in the end zone in 2014 with 86 carries for 288 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Parks, who drew scholarship offers from Florida State, North Carolina and Tennessee in high school, could be an additional home run threat in the backfield. The speedy high school quarterback was forced into action at running back in 2014 despite the fact that he was still learning how to play the position.
While the return of Parks and Payne would be a significant boost, they will have to earn their carries in fall camp following the emergence of redshirt freshman Patrick Brooks in the spring. Brooks, a versatile back like Smith, led all rushers with 13 carries for 79 yards in the spring game.
Coast presence
Freshman defensive end Jacques Turner, a D'Iberville native, and junior tight end Rusty Clark, a Harrison Central product, were both in attendance at the USM Gulf Coast Beach Bash in Long Beach Friday night. Clark, who played his first two years at Pearl River CC, joins the roster this year after transferring in from Houston.
Turner, who stands 6-3, 250 pounds, said he will be working at the bandit position this season and he's been learning a great deal from redshirt junior Xavier Thigpen.
Turner can play right away for the Golden Eagles if needed, but he'll have to wait until the fall to find out if he'll receive a redshirt in his first year.
“We'll see after fall camp,” Turner said. “Right now, I'm just trying to learn the plays and see how I fit into the system.”
Clark is listed at 6-7, 236 pounds and will be part of an offense that should provide a more significant role for tight ends under new offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson.
“Hopefully, I can fill whatever role is needed from me, “ Clark said. “Whether it's make a big play, block or catch a pass, hopefully, I'll be there to do the job.”
Another Coast native in search of time on the field this year is walk-on redshirt sophomore Austin Keel, who is in competition with redshirt junior Cody Block for long-snapping duties. Keel played football at D'Iberville.
This story was originally published July 23, 2016 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Return of Payne, Parks should boost Southern Miss backfield."