USM’s Will Hall sought out transfers and got them. He breaks down each new Golden Eagle
BY PATRICK MAGEEJUNE 16, 2021 05:00 AM
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Will Hall introduced as Southern Miss head coach
Will Hall was introduced as Southern Miss' head coach for the first time Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. The Amory, Miss., native told the Golden Eagle fanbase this was a job he's always wanted and called for unity as he takes over the program. BY ALYSSA NEWTON
If the Southern Miss football team is to put up a winning season in Will Hall’s first year as coach, it will likely rely on the performance of the transfers he added since getting the job in December.
Hall knew he had some areas to address on the depth chart as spring practice wore on, but that list of concerns grew with one injury late in the camp and the transfer of the team’s top defensive lineman. Junior slot receiver Da’quan Bailey-Brown broke an ankle at the end of what had been a breakout spring, and senior defensive end Jacques Turner decided to transfer to Louisville.
Prior to those developments, Hall had already planned to find another defensive lineman, and he wanted to address depth issues on the offensive line and in a shallow, undersized running back corps.
In December, USM signed a pair of Ole Miss defensive backs in Lakevias Daniel and Jay Stanley. With four new transfers already on campus and two more apparently on the way, Hall seems to have hit his marks by using the transfer portal and picking up junior college talent.
BREAKING DOWN THE 4 NEW USM TRANSFERS
Hall has four transfers already on the Hattiesburg campus taking part in workouts, and he believes each one is ready to make an impact this fall.▪ DaShawn Crawford, defensive tackle from Virginia Tech — The Jones College product started 11 games at Tech in 2019 before battling through an injury in 2020. As a junior at Virginia Tech, the 6-foot, 290-pound Crawford had 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Will Hall’s take: “He’s a huge get. DaShawn should have been here his whole career. He’s from Bay Springs and he’s really what Southern Miss is all about. He was a great player in high school and at Jones. He did a lot of great things at Virginia Tech. He’s got twitch and quickness. We’re really excited about him.”
▪ Briason Mays, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman from West Virginia — USM quarterback Trey Lowe III, who was a high school teammate of Mays, played a major role in getting him to come to Hattiesburg. Mays appeared in 23 games at WVU, making seven starts at center before more moving to right tackle in 2020. The 6-3, 303-pound Tennessee native has three years of eligibility remaining.
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Will Hall’s take: “He’s coming in to compete at left tackle. He also brings a lot of value because he played center in the past, but we’re starting him at left tackle to compete with Tykeem Doss for a starting spot.”
▪ Jakarius Caston, receiver from Hinds Community College — In a four-game season in 2020, Caston led HCC with 217 yards and two touchdowns. He played his high school ball at Adams Christian.
Will Hall’s take: “He’ll play the same position as (Demarcus Jones). He’s 205 pounds and a slot who has the ability to make you miss. He’s good side to side, and he’s physical enough to block at the point. We’ll also motion him in the backfield and give him the ball.”
▪ Dajon Richard, running back from Hinds Community College — The 6-foot, 205-pound Richard was the centerpiece of the HCC offense in 2020, running 72 times for 437 yards and three touchdowns. Richard, who also caught 14 passes for 80 yards, originally signed with South Alabama out of Patterson High School in Louisiana.
Will Hall’s take: “He brings a lot of versatility. He’s 205 pounds, runs low to the ground and can make you miss. He has really good hands and can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can do it all, and he’s got a great attitude. He’s been awesome in workouts this summer.”
2 TRANSFERS ON THE WAY FOR SOUTHERN MISS
USM has two more junior college offensive line transfers who are expected to set foot on campus this summer after recently announcing their verbal commitments — John Bolding of Coffeyville (Kansas) and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Peyton McKinion.Bolding is a 6-3, 315-pound lineman who verbally committed to the Golden Eagles in May over East Carolina and Jackson State. He’ll provide depth on the interior of the line this season.
In McKinion, USM will add a 6-8, 295-pound lineman who can help out at either tackle.
“They told me that the right tackle (Khalique Washington) is probably going to be a third-round draft pick, so they’ll move me over to left where I hope to earn some reps,” McKinion said. “I’ll still be behind the right and left tackle as second string.”
The USM staff tried to convince McKinion to transfer in for the spring semester, but he was hesitant to make such a quick decision after Hall was hired in early December.
“It was kind of spur of the moment so I decided to go back (to MGCCC),” he said. “I told everybody I was probably going to return to Gulf Coast and leave in December (2021), but it was laying on my mind that I really like Southern Miss. If I wanted to go in December, I may as well go now and get used to everything. I have four years left. I got to know the coaches, they made me feel like it was home.”
WILL SOUTHERN MISS ADD ANOTHER TRANSFER?
Memphis transfer defensive end Everitt Cunningham has also arrived this summer after originally signing with the Golden Eagles in December. The 6-3, 245-pound product of West Point will be relied on to provide a pass rush that the Golden Eagles lost with Turner.
“I coached against (Cunningham) when I was at Tulane and he was one of the best edge rushers in the (American Athletic Conference),” Hall said. “He’ll be at the ‘Jack’ linebacker position and he’s going to compete with Averie Habas. We’ll have great competition.”
In adding several players with either junior college or FBS experience, Hall feels like fall camp will feature a lot more head-to-head competition for playing time.
“It’s huge what we’ve done, with the addition of Mays and a couple of others,” Hall said. “We have six core values and our fourth is to always compete. I want every position to be where when you come out to practice and you’re not ready to bring it, the other guy can beat you out. When I was taking the job, the offensive line was a point of concern. I feel like we’ve killed that fly with a hammer.”
With fall camp not set to start until a month prior to the Sept. 4 season opener at South Alabama, Hall is open to adding another transfer or two — especially a defensive tackle who could provide some size in the middle.
“It just depends on if it’s a good person, it’s a good kid that fits our mold,” Hall said. “We wake up every day trying to push it forward. If a young man becomes available, and he’s a good person, we’ll address it at that time.”
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Head football coach Will Hall directs players at Southern Miss’s football practice on Saturday, March 6, 2021 in Hattiesburg. ALYSSA NEWTON SUN HERALD FILE
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