Less than two weeks prior to the start of fall camp, new Southern Miss football coach
Will Hall is confident that he has many of the pieces in place to put a good product on the field in 2021.
The Amory native has made the rounds across the state recently, meeting up with fans on his introductory tour and gathering with the reporters at Conference USA media days.
When he was hired at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in December, Hall didn’t have many opportunities to get out and do public events and engage with fans. He has more than made up for that throughout the spring and summer, and it appears a buzz is building around the new season.
USM announced last week that it has already
surpassed season-ticket sales from the 2019 and 2020 seasons. A total of 1,700 purchases have been made by new season-ticket buyers.
There are no guarantees of success with a new staff and a squad coming off a 3-7 season, but Hall has given reason to be upbeat about many aspects of the team headed into the Aug. 6 start of fall camp.
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED ABOUT SOUTHERN MISS FOOTBALL
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Quarterback comes into focus: Hall acknowledged that
redshirt sophomore Trey Lowe III enters fall camp with a significant edge over a pair of freshmen — Ty Keyes of Taylorsville and Louisville transfer Tee Webb.
“Trey had a phenomenal spring, and this is not just about 15 practices in the spring, but the way he attacked the offseason,” Hall said. “He attacked the summer lifting program.
“Trey is a young man who is already a college graduate. He’s an extremely driven young man with a lot of tools to work with. He’s been nothing but really good since I’ve been here.”
While Webb went through spring practice, Keyes didn’t arrive on campus until this summer.
“(Webb) is still learning what it’s like to be a quarterback at this level and Tee is extremely talented,” Hall said. “We have a lot to work with and those guys are continuing to push Trey. Going into camp, there’s a little gap (between Lowe and the other quarterbacks). They’ll have the opportunity to beat Trey, but right now he has the clear edge to be our starter.”
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Bigger running backs: Frank Gore Jr. was outstanding as a true freshman running back in 2020, but the new No. 3 on his jersey won’t be the only reason he looks a little different this season.
“He’s added about 8 pounds of muscle mass, looking a little bit bigger and a little stronger’ Hall said. “He hasn’t lost any explosiveness. He’s really taken to the offense. I think he’s going to have a big year Lord willing and he stays healthy.”
Hall spoke with Gore, who ran for 729 yards and 2 touchdowns last year, at the end of the spring about packing on pounds, and it’s clear the son of the NFL legend has responded to his suggestions.
“We want him to be as big as can be without losing explosiveness,” Hall said. “We think we’re almost at that right now. He’s up around 190.”
The 5-foot-8 Gore wasn’t the only USM running back to pack on pounds. Dajon Richard, a newly-signed back out of Hinds Community College, is up from about 190 pounds to 204. Darius Maberry, who arrived at USM as a super quick scatback, is now over 200 pounds.
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Receiver getting healthy: Hall gave an update on the health of
junior receiver Da’Quan Bailey Brown, who suffered a broken ankle at the end of spring practice.
The Pompano Beach, Florida, native has posted multiple videos to Twitter that show him making good progress in his recovery.
Last week, Hall said he was encouraged by where Bailey Brown stands.
“He’s right on schedule,” Hall said. “We have a phenomenal medical and training staff. Da’quan put in a lot of work and he’s pushing himself. He’s a driven kid that should be able to perform this fall at 100 percent. He brings all the attributes to the table.”
If Bailey Brown can get on the field early during the 2021 season, that would be a significant lift to the passing game. He had a breakout spring, and he was clearly the best option at slot receiver before he went down with the injury.
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Ready to step up: Junior receiver Jason Brownlee led Southern Miss with 34 receptions for 610 yards and five touchdowns, and it appears those numbers should take a significant leap forward in his second season with a better prepared Lowe behind center.
“Jason Brownlee has been a winner his whole life,” Hall said. “He played at (West Point High School), so he’s familiar with winning. He works hard everyday. Him and Trey Lowe were out there throwing together in the rain the other day. You see him on the field and in the offices putting in work all the time. He’s got great length and body control. He’s also really improved his speed.”
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COVID-19 vaccine situation: Hall said last week that he is bringing in health officials to educate the players on COVID-19 and everything that goes into receiving the vaccine, but he declined to give any information on the status of the team’s vaccination rate.
“I don’t want to get into that just out of respect for those young men,” he said. “But we are monitoring it and we’re keeping them updated with facts.
“One thing I’m good at is delegating to really smart people. I don’t want young men to base a decision off an opinion. I want them base it off facts and people who have those facts.
While the SEC has set an 85 percent vaccination threshold for teams to avoid regular testing and wearing masks in team facilities, Conference USA has yet to make public any vaccination goals.
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A potential doctor on the Southern Miss roster: One member of the Southern Miss defense who has impressed Hall in a variety of ways is
redshirt freshman linebacker T.Q. Newsome, who shifted from linebacker to running back last season following a standout career at Gulfport High School as a quarterback.
“I think he’s a young kid who is going to be a star,” Hall said. “He’s in the honors college, really taken to playing linebacker. T.Q. wakes up every day in his life and just starts winning at everything he does. He’s going to be a doctor one day, and he’s going to be a good one. I think he’s going to be a really good linebacker before that.”
Newsome had three tackles and a fumble recovery in limited action off the bench last season.
