Mobile Downtown, ALSince the end of spring drills, through the summer and right up to the start of preseason practices, when an incoming freshman and a much-talked-about transfer joined the team, South Alabama’s quarterback race has been the main topic of discussion among USA fans.
After Saturday’s second scrimmage of the preseason, the coaching staff has moved closer to naming a starter. Maybe. Offensive coordinator Greg Gregory said the job remains open, though two players are at the top of the list now.
Myles Gibbon, who started most of the Jags’ seven games last season, and freshman C.J. Bennett of Tampa, Fla., received playing time with the No. 1 and No. 2 offenses Saturday. That makes them the frontrunners for the starting job.
Brennan Sim, considered the starter coming out of spring practice, worked with the No. 2 and No. 3 offenses Saturday. Ole Miss transfer Raymond Cotton worked with the No. 3 offense. Two other quarterbacks — Matt Saucier, who clicked off a long run down the sideline that was shortened by a holding penalty, and Gabe Graham — received limited playing time Saturday and have received limited reps during the previous 14 practice days.
While Gibbon and Bennett are the leaders, Gregory said the quest for the starting job is not over.
via Gibbon, Bennett emerge as top candidates to start at quarterback for South Alabama | al.com.
MOBILE, Alabama — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones gave his football team some good news following Thursday morning’s practice: they’ll get the day off today.
Thursday’s workout, which was shortened by at least 30 minutes, was the Jaguars’ 13th day on the practice field in the past 14 days. Jones said he’s proud of how the players have responded to all the work, especially in the heat and humidity that has gripped the region, and determined it was a good idea to call off today’s practice prior to an important scrimmage Saturday.
“Hopefully (the decision was made) out of taking care of our players,” Jones said. “… I think they responded and had a good day. We’re just trying not to drive them into the ground. Our kids work real hard. We’re kind of rewarding them in some ways because they’ve been working so hard. (We’re) off tomorrow, scrimmage Saturday and off Sunday, so hopefully by Monday they’ll come back with their legs somewhat back.”
The decision was also based, in part, on the fact there have been some injuries in recent days.
“Sometimes maybe we should plan that in anyway,” Jones said of the day off. “If you go 13 out of 14 days, you probably need to back off the guys.”
via Jones give South Alabama players a rest day before Saturday’s scrimmage | al.com.
Join Mark Heim and Lee Shirvanian from 6 to 9 a.m. on Friday.
Mitch Light of Athlon’s talks college football at 8:05 a.m.
South Alabama football coach Joey Jones talks Jags at 6:45 a.m.
Tracy Turner of Talkin’ Football gives an update on Auburn at 7:15 a.m.
At 7:35 a.m., Cary Clark of BamaMag discusses Tide.
Also Tommy Praytor on auto racing at 6:17 a.m. and John Raciatti on golf at 8:35 a.m.
To join the show call 694-1055.
Join Mark Heim and Lee Shirvanian from 6 to 9 a.m. on 105.5 FM WNSP.
Gil Brandt of the NFL Network joins the guys at 8:05 to discuss Nick Saban’s decision to limit NFL scout’s access to his Crimson Tide.
Derek Ponamsky of BayouBengalInsider.com will talk LSU at 7:20 a.m.
South Alabama coach Joey Jones talks Jags football at 6:15 a.m.
Also on the show:
Tommy Praytor on NASCAR at 6:35 a.m.
Mary Montgomery high school football coach Brad Lowell at 6:45 a.m.
Rico Brogna of the BayBears to talk baseball at 8:20 a.m.
To join the show, call 251-694-1055.
South Alabama coach Joey Jones said his players were affected by the heat Tuesday for the first time this preseason.
“I was happy, but probably for the first time the heat got to us a little bit,” he said after the Jags’ first practice in full pads. “Some of the energy was drained out of us. It wasn’t the same energy level that we’ve had. It was our fifth day of practice in a row and it was hot. I’m not making excuses, but it wasn’t as good a day as I would have hoped.
“Number one, we’ve got to keep fighting. There’s nothing easy about going nine days of practice in a row. We’ve got to fight through it. It’s not going to be easy. Our legs are going to be tired, we’re going to be beat up, so we’ve got to fight through it and persevere. We’ll get them ready for games later. Right now, it’s kind of that just digging a tunnel and you have to keep digging until you get to the well. The team that performs the best at this point is going to be the team that performs the best, in my opinion, when the going gets tough at the end of the season.”
In Tuesday’s practice, the new quarterbacks — incoming freshman C.J. Bennett and freshman transfer Raymond Cotton — were dressed in blue (contact) jerseys.
via Heat gets to South Alabama football players on first day in pads | al.com.
Join Mark Heim and Lee Shirvanian from 6 to 9 a.m. by calling 694-1055.
Travis Reier of BamaOnline will give us the latest from Tuscaloosa at 7:05 a.m.
Former Auburn quarterback Ben Leard will talk Tigers with the guys at 7:15 a.m.
Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel joins the guys at 7:45 a.m. to talk Gators and Emmitt Smith leaving the Florida Gators out of his acceptance speech during the Hall of Fame ceremony.
Also on the show:
Baldwin County football coach David Wofford at 6:35 a.m.
Dan Jennings, the GM of the Florida Marlins, at 8:05 a.m.
Tommy Hicks of the Press-Register on South Alabama football at 8:15 a.m.
Developing depth in and improving the secondary, particularly at cornerback, is a priority for South Alabama’s football team this season.
So far, so good.
There is now strong competition between Anton Graphenreed, Jerron Mitchell, Jonathan Cameron and Mike Wilson for the two starting spots, and defensive coordinator Bill Clark offered a big grin when asked about the position.
“Obviously, in today’s game when the ball is thrown all over the place like it is, the secondary guys are vital,” Clark said Saturday following the Jaguars’ second preseason practice.
“There’s a big battle going on there (at cornerback). We’ve really added a three-way rotation with Graphenreed, Cameron and Mitchell, and they’re all battling. And Wilson is in there, too.”
Mitchell, Graphenreed and Wilson played for the Jags last season, while Cameron, a transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, enrolled in December so he could participate in spring practice. Mitchell arrived from Birmingham-Southern, Graphenreed from Lenoir-Rhyne and Wilson from Mississippi College.
“It’s going to be great because at the end of the day, we’re going to make each other better by pushing each other,” said Graphenreed. “Competition is always good.”
via South Alabama hopes competition contributes to stronger secondary | al.com.
There weren’t many surprises in South Alabama’s first preseason football practice Friday, but there was a big difference in comparison to last year.
“I thought it was a good first day,” coach Joey Jones said after welcoming roughly 120 players on the Jags’ practice field at 7:10 a.m. “A lot of excitement out there, fairly organized for a first practice, so I was pleased with that.
“We looked a lot better than we did last year just physically on the field. Now we’ve got to translate that into playing well.”
The key now is to continue to improve daily.
“The first thing we talked about was effort, and I thought we gave great effort today,” Jones said. “They (returning players) understand what we want, and in turn they can teach the younger players. Last year, the older players couldn’t teach the younger players because we hadn’t been through a season with them.”
The battle for the starting quarterback job between returnees Brennan Sim and Myles Gibbon and newcomers Raymond Cotton and C.J. Bennett is expected to be intense.
Cotton, who joined the team two days ago, felt he performed well in his first practice and is looking forward to competing for the position.
“I like competition,” he said. “Whoever gets the job, it’s always a battle day in and day out.”
via South Alabama holds first practice in preparation for 2010 football season | al.com.
Former Ole Miss quarterback Raymond Cotton got his official release Wednesday and is expected to practice with South Alabama when it hits the field for the first time Friday morning, according to Jaguars coach Joey Jones.
Cotton’s departure from Ole Miss has been linked mostly to playing time. His father, Raymond Cotton Sr., said last week that his son would transfer to USA, but Cotton himself said over the weekend no decision had been made.
During the spring, Cotton battled junior Nathan Stanley for the Rebels’ starting job, but he was listed as second on the depth chart heading into the season. Cotton passed for 178 yards and two touchdowns in the Grove Bowl spring game.
Cotton — now a redshirt freshman who originally committed to Auburn before signing with Ole Miss — threw for 2,243 yards and 24 touchdowns at Fort Meade, Md., as a prep senior. He played quarterback at Blount for two years before transferring to Faith Academy for his junior year.
“We’re excited about having Raymond,” Jones said. “I’d heard a lot of great things about him. Obviously, I’ve seen high school highlight films on him and kept up with his career a little bit last year. It looks like we’ve got a good one transferring in here.”
Cotton is expected to compete at the quarterback position returning
via Former Ole Miss quarterback Raymond Cotton officially joins USA (updated) | al.com.
MOBILE, Alabama — After a long summer spent in preparation for his program’s second football season, South Alabama’s Joey Jones returns Wednesday to what he enjoys most about his job — coaching, practicing and Saturdays.
Players are scheduled to report to preseason camp Wednesday. After a 7-0 finish in its first year against mostly prep schools and junior college teams, USA must play 10 games, all against four-year programs, including the first three road games in the program’s history.
Jones sat down with the Press-Register to talk about the first year, expectations for the upcoming season and the growth of the program.
Q: When you finally sat down and looked back at last season, what were your thoughts?
First of all, it was an incredible feeling. I remember standing on the sidelines at the first ballgame and looking at our coaches and GAs and administrators and cheerleaders and our band — but to pull all that together and make it happen, to me, was a very gratifying thing. … It was a real gratifying season, not just the wins, but the way everything was done from A to Z, and it all starts with the president. He’s a man who wants excellence, and so I was glad to be a part of that.
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