Southern Miss Football Preview

Derrick Nix

Following a disappointing 2001 campaign, optimism is once again running high in Hattiesburg about the Southern Miss football team. Eighteen starters are returning. Preseason All-American LB Rod Davis is ready to lead the always-tough USM defense. Running back Derrick Nix is healthy and ready to spark the Golden Eagles offense as the team looks to put last season behind them and create a new chapter of success this fall.

Southern Miss' 2001 football season came to a sudden and unexpected end on Dec. 7, when the Golden Eagles dropped a 14-12 decision to TCU, on national television, at home in Roberts Stadium. The looks on the faces of the coaches, players and fans more than summed up the disappointment that they all were feeling when they realized the season had ended, that there would be no fifth-straight bowl trip, no conference championship, that a streak of five-straight, seven-victory seasons was gone; rather, just a winter ahead to ponder what might have been and to get ready for 2002.

But with all the disappointment came time for the football program to reevaluate its goals and set new ones as preparation immediately got underway for a 2002 season that is finally here.

As the Golden Eagles approach the new season, they are out to prove to the college football world that the 2001 season was only a small setback in the big picture, and that they are ready to go back to work and earn back the respect that they lost last season.

In 2002, Southern Miss returns 45 letterwinners, including 18 starters from last season, and not only brought in a good mid-year class, but also added one of the best signing classes in the school's history.

Even though there is a plethora of talent returning for the Golden Eagles in 2002, there are still questions that have to be answered in order for Southern Miss to put itself back where the Golden Eagles belong, at the top of Conference USA and among the top teams in college football.

One area that has to be addressed is who will take over the reins as the team's signal caller. Jeff Kelly, the most decorated student-athlete academically in the school's history and one of the top quarterbacks on the field as well, finished his eligibility in 2001, leaving as the second-leading passer in yardage and total offense and as the school's leader in touchdowns responsible for.

Other areas to be addressed include replacing starting positions at weak-side guard and running back on offense, weak-side linebacker and rover on defense and several spots on the special teams. Developing depth is another key area that must be addressed every spring.

Everyone is excited about Southern Miss' 2002 schedule. The season starts with three home dates for the first since 1920 and six home dates for the first time in 20 years.

"I believe this is the best home schedule that we have ever had," Head Coach Jeff Bower said. "The season opener against Jackson State should be exciting for our fans, followed by Big Ten Champion Illinois and then four conference rivals that we have played for a long time in Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis and East Carolina. It is a quality home schedule. Four of the six teams visiting this year, were bowl teams last year, so that adds some extra excitement to the schedule for our fans."

The Golden Eagles open the season against Jackson State on Aug. 31, before Big Ten champion Illinois comes to town on Sept. 7 (ESPN2), followed by Conference USA rival Memphis on Sept. 14. Southern Miss then goes on the road for three straight games, starting with Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 21, then at Army on Sept. 28 and at South Florida on Oct. 12 in Tampa, after a week off.
The Golden Eagles host Cincinnati for Homecoming on Oct. 19, before traveling to TCU for a Wednesday night ESPN2 game on Oct. 30 and then play at UAB on Nov. 9. Southern Miss closes out its schedule with Louisville at home for a Thursday ESPN contest on Nov. 14, then plays at Tulane on Nov. 23 and finishes the season at home against East Carolina on Nov. 30.

Offense
With nine starters, including the return of a healthy Derrick Nix (6-2, 232, r-Sr.), and 20 letterwinners returning this season, optimism abounds on the offensive side of the ball.

"We had a lot of young players get a lot of playing time last year," Offensive Coordinator Chris Klenakis said. "For example, James Walley (6-0, 195, So.) and all the young receivers who may not have started but sure played a lot of football. Another example is Terrell Browden (6-3, 245, Jr.), who is not a starter but has seen a lot of time on the field. We are very excited and have high expectations for this group, and we have let this group know that its time for them to get it done."

The offensive staff remains the same for the upcoming season. Klenakis, running backs coach Shelton Gandy and quarterbacks coach Paul Petrino all return for their third year. Tight ends coach Mitch Rodrigue returns for his fourth year, and Bower will once again coach the wide receivers as he has done for the past several seasons.

As the offense gained experience last year, improvement was evident as the season progressed. In the last six games, the offense averaged 32 points a game and almost 400 yards a game of total offense.

In order for the offense to continue that success, a quarterback has to emerge, a position on the offensive line has to be secured and depth has to be developed.

The coaching staff came out of spring drills pleased with the continued progress that was made. Even though a starting quarterback has not been named, all three have shown that each has specific abilities that can help the team be successful.

"I feel pretty good about the offense," Bower said. "We improved a lot on our fundamentals and techniques, but we have to perfect them. I believe we made definite strides in our goal line and short yardage offense, but we still need to keep getting better there. Those areas will make or break you as a team, most of the time."

Starters lost from last year include three-year quarterback starter Kelly, running back Dawayne Woods and offensive lineman Kendrick Key. Kelly completed 214-of-362 passes for 2,613 yards and threw for 15 touchdowns. He finished his career as one of the top three in the school's career passing charts in most categories and was drafted in the seventh round by the Seattle Seahawks. Woods led the team in rushing yards, carrying the ball 140 times for 594 yards, a 4.2-yard per carry average, and scoring nine touchdowns. Key was a two-year starter, who provided leadership and experience on the line.

Quarterback
With the loss of Kelly, the Southern Miss offense will have a brand-new signal-caller when it takes the field for the season opener in the fall. Vying for the starting position is a trio of young players, including two redshirt-sophomores and one redshirt-freshman. Two of the players, Micky D'Angelo (6-3, 212, r-So.) and Zac White (6-5, 229, Jr.), bring game experience to the table, while another, Dustin Almond (6-1, 185, r-Fr.), has yet to take a snap in a collegiate game.

"We have good competition at the quarterback position," Bower said. "We have three guys battling for the top spot right now. I think the big key will be finding that guy and trying to build some depth at that position."

D'Angelo, a redshirt-sophomore from Gulfport, Miss., is listed at the top of the depth chart at quarterback. During the 2001 season, he was the second backup behind White. However, a season-ending injury to White moved D'Angelo up on the depth chart. As Kelly's backup, D'Angelo played in two games during the 2001 season, completing 3-of-8 passes for 44 yards and one touchdown. He had a season-long pass of 25 yards. On the ground, D'Angelo had four carries. In the annual Black-Gold game, D'Angelo had one of the most productive outings, throwing for 154 yards on 8-of-10 passing for a completion percentage of 80 percent.

"D'Angelo's strength has to be his quick release and his accuracy," Quarterbacks Coach Paul Petrino said. "He still needs to get in there and play some more. He has really improved his body and has improved his athleticism in the two years that he has been here."

White, from Gardendale, Ala., began the 2001 season as the No. 2 quarterback, after seeing limited action in 2000. Last year, White played in one game, completing 4-of-6 passes for 29 yards. His longest pass of the year went for 11 yards. Although he was the backup at quarterback, White was limited in his action in 2001, primarily because of a nagging back injury. Since he had not redshirted his first year here, White was granted a medical hardship because of last year's injury and will enter the 2002 season as a redshirt-sophomore. In his freshman season, White played in two games, completing 1-of-6 passes for nine yards.

In the Black-Gold game, he led all quarterbacks after throwing for a combined 165 yards on 14-of-25 passing. White took the most snaps of the three players, playing quarterback for both teams.

"Zac has been around the offense the most of the three (quarterbacks)," Petrino said. "He was here the first year and did not redshirt. He needs to get the ball out of his hands quicker; that is the biggest thing he needs to improve on. He has pretty good arm strength, but his mobility needs work."

The youngest of the three, Almond has not seen any action on the field. A redshirt-freshman, he went 5-for-15 with 52 yards in the air during the Black & Gold game. During his senior year at Orange Park High School in Orange Park, Fla., Almond threw for 2,012 yards and 18 touchdowns. He accounted for over 3,000 yards passing in his final two seasons, and rushed for 830 yards as a junior.

"Dustin has all kinds of pure talent," Petrino said. "He has a really strong arm and really good feet. The biggest thing will be for him to relax and just play. He has taken the least amount of snaps of the three."

The three will battle to fill the void left by Kelly, who was a major part of the Golden Eagle offense for three seasons, not only as an offensive weapon, but also as a leader on and off the field.

"I think the biggest thing will be who wants to step up and take over the team and show leadership," Petrino said. "They are all young, and it will take someone with a strong personality who wants to lead, regardless of age."

Running Back
While the Golden Eagles will enter to the 2002 season without its leading rusher of a year ago, the team will have the services of Nix, an All-American candidate, who was twice named to the All-Conference USA team, as well as being named to the Southern Miss Team of the Century.

Nix, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, has been battling injury and kidney ailments for the past two seasons. Because of that, he was redshirted last year, and returns for his final season looking to leave his final mark in the Southern Miss record books. With 2,390 career rushing yards, Nix is in prime position to move up the career rushing list. The 6-foot-2-inch, 232-pound running back from Attalla, Ala., needs just 519 yards rushing to move into third-place on the all-time chart, behind only Ben Garry (3,595 yards) and Sammy Winder (3,114 yards). Nix can also move up in the career attempts list, needing just 100 carries to move into third place overall. Having Nix back in the mix at running back, the Southern Miss backfield will look to return to the success it has had in recent years.

"Derrick is healthy and ready to go," Bower said. "We are excited about having him back and having him as a big back. We all know what kind of player he is, and obviously, he will help us. We will be better with him on the field."

Nix had a great spring, rushing for over 100 yards in several scrimmages, and looks to be back to true form after the spring season. In the Black-Gold game, he rushed for 49 yards on 16 carries and had a one-yard scoring run.

Along with Nix, the Golden Eagles will add depth with a pair of young horses in Walley and Anthony Harris (5-11, 210, r-Fr.), who will both see playing time. Walley is the top returning rusher from a year ago. He saw his playing time increase over the latter part of the 2001 season, finishing second on the team in rushing. He amassed 245 yards on 80 carries in six games and had three touchdowns. Walley had a season-high of 77 yards at East Carolina, including 60 in the fourth quarter. He also registered 65 yards at Alabama and had a season-high two touchdowns in his college debut against Houston. In the spring game, Walley rushed for 34 yards on 12 carries, sharing snaps with Nix on the Black team.

"Walley finished the 2001 season on a strong note," Running Backs Coach Shelton Gandy said. "I think one of his strong points was he has speed and has a great burst. He has a couple of things that he needs to refine as far as getting low in his pass protection and getting stronger. I believe he has the potential to be a really good running back before he leaves here."

Harris, out of Demopolis, Ala., redshirted last season to build up his strength. In the spring game, He finished with 64 yards on 12 carries.

"Anthony was on the scout team last year so he could get a lot of repetitions and get better," Gandy said. "He has great potential and is a strong kid. He benches about 425 and just needs more reps to get into the flow. He is going to see some time."

Redshirt junior Lorenzo Young (5-7, 166, r-Jr.) and junior college transfer Ryan Earnest (5-9, 175, Jr.) look to add depth at the running back position. The two players combined for 34 yards on the ground in the Black & Gold game, and Young scored on a 12-yard run.

Offensive Line
The offensive line may be one of the most experienced positions on the Southern Miss offense. Led by returning starters Jeremy Bridges (6-4, 300, r-Sr.), Jim Hicks (6-3, 280, r-Jr.), Torrin Tucker (6-6, 316, r-Sr.) and Jason Jimenez (6-7, 292, r-Sr.), the offensive line has 92 career starts under its belt.

"In the spring, our main focus was to continue to improve on our footwork and blocking technique," Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Chris Klenakis said. "You can never stress enough work on fundamentals on the offensive line, and you are never good enough at your fundamentals."

Among the starters, Bridges and Tucker have the most experience, as both have started since they were sophomores and both are being touted as All-American candidates.

Bridges returns to anchor his position at weak-side tackle. He was named to the Conference USA All-Conference second team. In 2001, Bridges led the team, playing in 874 plays, 822 on offense and 52 on special teams. He will be counted on heavily to provide leadership to the line this year.

"We expect a superb season out of him," Klenakis said. "He helps to provide the core leadership for our line so there is a lot expected from him. He needs to continue playing at the level he is capable of and to keep getting better each day."

Behind Bridges, Neal Mead (6-5, 295, r-Fr.) and Patrick Corbett (6-6, 249, r-So.) may see time at the position. Mead is a redshirt freshman from Collins, Miss., while Corbett also was on the practice squad last season.
At weak-side guard, Jeremy Parquet (6-7, 318, r-So.) moves into the starting role and looks to serve as the replacement for departed senior Kendrick Key. A sophomore out of Norco, La., Parquet saw some action last season, playing in a total of 239 plays. Along with Parquet, senior Buck Miciotto (6-3, 278, r-Sr.) is slated as the backup. Miciotto has spot-started over the past two seasons, but has been limited somewhat because of injuries. Last season, Miciotto participated in 145 plays. Behind Parquet and Miciotto, redshirt-sophomore Javar Young (6-4, 264, r-So.) also could see action. Young stands 6-foot-4-inches and weighs 264 pounds.

"Jeremy was a redshirt his first year and worked his way into the playing rotation last season," Klenakis said. "He started three games when Kendrick Key was injured and was a solid contributor. Buck, as a sophomore, started eight games at weak guard and also started one game last season. It's not like we are going in with two rookies at that position. Both guys have started and played at the position."

Jim Hicks (6-3, 280, r-Jr.) returns as the starter at center, a position he has held for the past two seasons. Hicks began the 2000 season as the starter at center but was sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury in the fifth game of the year. He returned to the starting lineup last year, playing in 829 plays. Addaryl Edwards (6-3, 279, r-So.) is the backup at center after being moved over from the defensive line during the 2001 season, while John Baumgartner (6-4, 261, r-So.) adds depth to the position.

"Jim was a starter all 11 games for us last year," Klenakis said. "We are pleased to have the experience returning at center. And behind him are some young guys who we are hoping to develop and establish some depth at the center position."

Tucker, a 6-foot-6-inch, 316-pound senior, returns for his fourth season, slated to be the starter at the strong-side guard position. As one of the leaders on the offensive line, Tucker participated in 790 plays last season, including 743 on offense and 43 on special teams.

"Along with Jeremy, we have high expectations for Torrin," Klenakis said. "He has been a starter for several years, so he needs to also provide core leadership on the line. He needs to play at the level he is capable of and to keep getting better each day."

Bradley Worthington (6-4, 283, r-Fr.), who came in for the spring semester of 2001, was redshirted this past fall to build his strength. The coaching staff is excited about him as he has worked hard on getting his body weight down and building his strength in the weight room. They believe he has a great future ahead of him.

Kendel Wheeler (6-4, 285, r-Fr.) came in as a true freshman in 2001 on the defensive line and redshirted last season to also build up his strength. Both Worthington and Wheeler will add depth at the position and challenge for playing time.

Jimenez, who emerged as a starter at strong tackle during the 2000 season, returns to anchor the spot again after starting all 11 games in 2001. At 6-foot-7-inches and 292 pounds, he more than held his own on the field last season, participating in 856 plays, 817 on offense and 39 on special teams.

"Jason too has several years of experience under his belt," Klenakis said. "He is another core leader on the line and must step up and provide leadership. We have high expectations for him and know he has the potential to accomplish a lot."

Behind Jimenez, Myron Powe (6-4, 299, r-So.) saw action this past year, and was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team. The coaching staff is counting on him to work his way into the game rotation this season. Daniel Day (6-4, 300, r-Fr.) and Anthony Jones (6-4, 270, r-So.) will battle for time on the field.

Tight Ends
Senior tight end Bobby Garner (6-2, 225, Sr.)and junior Terrell Browden (6-3, 245, Jr.) are battling for the top spot at that position. Garner, who did not participate in spring drills because of playing baseball, has been the starter at the spot for the past two seasons. A converted quarterback, Garner caught 27 passes for 374 yards and scored two touchdowns last season. He had a season high of 77 yards on four catches and scored a touchdown at Louisiana-Lafayette and finished with 58 yards on five catches and scored a touchdown at Memphis.

Browden also saw extensive action last season, playing in all 11 games. He finished with four catches for 30 yards and one touchdown. He had a season high 20 yards on two catches against Oklahoma State and had a one-yard touchdown reception against TCU.

While Garner and Browden battle for the top spot, redshirt sophomore Stuart Floyd (6-2, 228, r-So.) also will battle for playing time. Jonathon Simmons (6-5, 232, r-So.) and Patrick Barker (6-5, 210, r-Sr.) may also see time at the position.

"I think we are looking to keep the tight end about the same in the passing game as we did last year," Tight Ends Coach (Mitch) Rodrigue said. "We caught a lot of balls, and our tight ends made a lot of catches last year. I would like to see us become more effective in our play action game. We are catching the ball on our five step drops and our three step drops, but we would like to see us in our play action game get more involved."

Wide Receivers
Although the receiving corps has just one senior in its lineup, the wideouts aren't lacking in experience. Led by senior LeRoy Handy (6-1, 196, r-Sr.), four returning starters grace the receiver positions, and a number of young players also have seen action.

"We have a lot of outstanding depth at receiver," Klenakis said. "We have all of our starters back and our backups return as well. We also signed three great high school receivers. We will have a nice core of receivers."

Handy, a redshirt-senior and All-Conference USA candidate from Beaumont, Miss., has been among the key receivers for the program over the last two seasons. In 2001, Handy led the team with 59 receptions for 823 yards, averaging 13.9 yards per catch. He also grabbed three touchdowns, with a long of 66 yards. Handy is listed at the starter in the flanker position. He had three games with 100 or more yards, including a season-high 101 yards on 10 catches at Penn State and 101 yards on five receptions at Louisiana-Lafayette. He had five or more catches eight times and finished with 75 or more yards eight times.

Behind Handy is sophomore Marvin Young (5-11, 158, So.). Young emerged as one of the top young receivers over the latter part of the season, finishing with 10 receptions for 114 yards and scoring one touchdown. He had a season high 38 yards on three catches and scored a touchdown in his first collegiate game against Houston. Freshman Karlin Riley (6-2, 195, Fr.)could challenge for time at the flanker spot as well.

At one receiver slot, junior Kenneth Johnson 5-10, 165, Jr.) returns to the starting role. Johnson struggled with injuries at times last season, but he looks to return to the success he had during his freshman season. Playing only in nine games, Johnson was third on the team in 28 receptions for 298 yards. He had his season high 92 yards on seven catches against Oklahoma State to open the season and also had 48 yards on five catches at Alabama.

Sophomore Rocky Harrison (6-1, 192, So.) provides solid depth at the position, as he started several games for the Golden Eagles last season. He was fifth on the team in reception (21), had 268 yards receiving and scored one touchdown. Harrison had at least one catch in every game last season and finished with a season- high 61 yards on two catches and scored a touchdown against Tulane. He had four catches for 48 yards against TCU in the final game of the season. Thomas Hosey (6-2, 200, r-Fr.) and Lamarcus Hicks (5-11, 177, r-Fr.) follow on the depth chart and give the offense added options at the position.

Sophomore Chris Johnson (5-10, 185, So.), a Conference USA All-Rookie team member, returns to anchor the split end position. He finished as the second most productive receiver as a true freshman last season, grabbing 34 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns. His first catch went for a 20-yard score against Oklahoma State and he finished with at least one catch in every game. He also finished with a season high 93 yards on three receptions, including a 73-yard touchdown at Louisville and had 55 yards on six catches at East Carolina.

(Chris) Johnson also was third on the team in all-purpose yards, behind Handy and (Dawayne) Woods. Naton Stewart (6-4, 200, r-Fr.) and sophomore DaRon Lawrence (6-2, 192, r-So.) also will be looking for playing time.

Defense
Mix a young, energetic defensive coordinator with a veteran defensive staff and throw in eight returning starters and 24 returning lettermen from a 2001 defense that was nationally ranked in several key categories, and it isn't hard to understand why Golden Eagle fans look forward to the 2002 season with both excitement and optimism.

The defensive coordinator is Tyrone Nix, who, even at his young age, has a solid Southern Miss background to go with a growing national reputation for fielding attacking, hard-nosed defenses. The veteran defensive staff also enjoys the talents of Assistant Head Coach Randy Butler, who is in his 11th season with the Golden Eagles; Lytrel Pollard, who, though entering just his fourth season on the Golden Eagle staff, already enjoys much the same reputation as Nix; and, Jay Hopson, who is in his second season with the Golden Eagles and who also can call on solid experience at such schools as LSU, Florida and Marshall.

Nix, who last season was the youngest coordinator in Division 1-A, was an outstanding player at Southern Miss. He then moved immediately into the coaching ranks following his playing career and his success has more than justified the decision by Bower to place Nix in the high-profile position. Nix will be coaching the inside linebackers for the second year in a row.

Butler again will work with the defensive line, Pollard the outside linebackers and Hopson the defensive backs.

Last year's defense finished the season ranked eighth in scoring defense, 11th in total defense, 12th in pass efficiency defense, 13th in rushing defense, and 21st in turnover margin, numbers that have become almost commonplace for Golden Eagle defenses. In addition, both Leroy Johnson and Greg Brooks were ranked nationally in the interceptions category.

Returning Starters
Looking first at the returning starters, the number stood at nine prior to the spring departure of defensive end Brian Evans, who saw action in all 11 games and recorded 29 total tackles. The list now includes quality defensive linemen in Skylor Magee (6-1, 270, r-So.), and Rayshun Jones (6-3, 288, r-Sr.); defensive end Terrell Paul (6-3, 226, r-Jr.); outside linebacker Joe Henley (6-0, 216, Sr.), middle linebacker Rod Davis (6-3, 238, r-So.); and a trio of defensive backs in Leroy Johnson (5-11, 180, Sr.), Etric Pruitt (6-0, 181, r-Jr.) and Brooks (5-11, 175, r-Jr.).

The quality of that returning group can be quickly determined by checking the defensive statistics from last season. Davis led all Golden Eagle defenders with 100 stops, numbers that included 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, a pair of pass interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Pruitt and Henley ranked No. 2 and No. 3 behind Davis, with 82 and 69 tackles, respectively. In fact, seven of last year's top 11 tacklers are back, and the other returning starter finished in the No. 14 spot on the tackle list.

That returning group accounted for 41 of the 79 tackles for loss recorded by the Eagles last season, for 17.5 of the 31 sacks and 10 of the 14 interceptions. Key losses include linebackers Roy Magee (68 tackles) and sixth round NFL pick Chad Williams (63 tackles), who ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on the 2001 tackle list.

Defensive Line
Butler sees a lot of pluses when he looks at his defensive line talent. "Our objectives during the spring were to solidify our depth inside at nose and tackle," he said. "I think we did that. As always, our defensive philosophy will be to find the best 11 we have, and then the second best 11. That can always mean moving some people around in order to get them into positions where they can help us the most.

"I feel much better coming out of spring this year than I did at the same point a year ago. We had more question marks last season, and, generally, we're just further ahead of where we were at the same time a year ago."

Looking across the defensive front, Evans started at a defensive end spot last season and his departure opens that spot for Darris McKenzie (6-2, 245, r-Jr.), who even though he wasn't named the starter, alternated plays with Evans, seeing a lot of playing time by the end of last season. McKenzie finished with 23 tackles, including two quarterback sacks and four tackles for loss.

Seante Williams (6-6, 240, Jr.), a transfer from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, and Akeem Lockett (6-3, 235, Fr.), who joined the team at mid-year, will provide backup there.

Magee, a 2001 Freshman All-America selection by The Sporting News, is a fixture at the nose spot. He finished with 34 tackles, including a half of a quarterback sack and three tackles for loss. He had three tackles, including one for loss at Alabama and a season high six tackles at Memphis.

"Skylor battled with the new position last spring," Butler said. "He had a good spring, a good off-season, and battled and really played well. You are looking at someone who, as a sophomore, has played four or five hundred snaps and will only get better."

Chad Ruffin (6-0, 260, r-So.) saw action in all 11 games and should see action again this season. He finished with 20 tackles, one quarterback sack and two tackles for loss. Also looking to provide depth is Carlos Crusoe (6-3, 285, r-Sr.), who redshirted last season due to a broken foot he sustained during fall two-a-days. He is healthy and should be ready to provide help this season. Ruffin had a season-high five tackles at East Carolina and registered four tackles against Tulane and three against TCU.

"Chad is someone who really came on last spring and earned a spot as a backup," Butler said. "He is the type that will push for more playing time this year." Rayshun Jones (6-3, 288, r-Sr.), an All-Conference USA candidate, is slated to start at the defensive tackle spot. He started all 11 games and finished as the sixth-leading tackler on the squad last season, finishing with 60 tackles, including three quarterback sacks and six tackles for loss. He also forced two fumbles. Jones had six tackles at East Carolina, including a quarterback sack and four tackles for loss, 10 tackles at Alabama, including one for loss and seven against TCU and forced two fumbles.

"I thought Rayshun was playing as well as anyone in our conference up front at the end of the season," Butler said. "He made a lot of plays in our last three or four games and I look forward to him having a big year up front."

Eric Scott (6-2, 275, So.) saw time as a true freshman last year and should be ready to step in and add depth at the position and possibly challenge for the starting position at one of the tackles. He played in 10 games last season and finished with six tackles, a half of a quarterback sack and two tackles for loss. Transfer Ronald Jones (6-4, 225, Jr.) came in from Gulf Coast Community College at mid-year and should also see time. He has great tools and explosive speed at the point of attack.

"Eric is probably the strongest player on the team," Butler said. "He is talented and I am looking for him to push Skylor and possibly Rayshun for a starting position."

Paul, an All-Conference USA performer last season and All-American candidate in 2002, should be in for his best year yet at the bandit end position. He led the team in quarterback sacks with six and was second on the team in tackles for loss with 11. He also finished with 52 tackles, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He had six tackles at Louisville, including 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss and collected a season high seven tackles against Houston and Oklahoma State.

"Terrell was a very good player for us last year," Butler said. "He made a lot of plays and will only be a junior. I think his best playing time is ahead of him and he is going to get better. He is the leader of the group."

LeVon Pears (6-0, 250, r-So.), who joined the team as a walk-on in 2001, saw playing time last season. He played in all 11 games, finishing with 16 tackles, two quarterback sacks, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Pears had a season-high seven tackles against Tulane, including a quarterback sack and finished with three at Penn State, including a quarterback sack. Both Pears and mid-year transfer Demarcus Barner (6-1, 230, So.) from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, will add depth and should see action this season.

"Levon came in and probably averaged 10 or 15 plays per game in a backup role last year," Butler said. "He knows what to do, plays hard and just need to make plays."

The Linebackers
The second line of defense, the linebackers, will miss Magee, but will have All-American Davis in the middle with Henley, an All-Conference USA candidate, on one side and Michael Boley (6-3, 207, r-So.), replacing Magee, on the other side.

"From a personnel standpoint, we have a chance to be as good as we've been in awhile." Nix said. "As always, we'll have to play with great effort to be successful; but, if we can continue to play hard, create more turnovers and eliminate big plays by our opponent, we have a solid chance to again be a top 10 defense."

And from the outside, Coach Pollard echoes Nix's sentiments. "I'm excited about this group," he said. "We've got a couple of veterans and some young guys to work in there. We're going to have a lot of speed, and I hope the players in these positions will give our fans something to cheer about when they step on the field."

Henley returns as starter at the strong side. He finished as the third-leading tackler last year with 69 stops, including 2.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. He also forced two fumbles, tying for the team lead. Henley finished with double figure tackles three times, including a season-high 11 at Penn State and collecting 10 at Alabama.

Kevin Coley (6-3, 210, r-Fr.) and Terry Anderson (6-2, 218, r-So.) will battle for playing time behind Henley. Coley redshirted last season but brought impressive high school credentials from Palatka High School in Palatka, Fla., while Anderson saw action in all 11 games, finishing with 10 tackles.

Davis, a candidate for the Lombardi, Butkus and Nagurski Awards, will anchor the middle and will be counted on for leadership. He finished with a team-high 100 tackles, earning Sporting News All-American honors as well as first-team All-Conference USA recognition. He also had three quarterback sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two interceptions, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. He finished with 10 or more tackles six times, collecting a season-high 13 tackles, including 10 unassisted, one quarterback sack, one tackle for loss, an interception and a pass breakup at East Carolina. He also had 10 tackles, including two quarterback sacks and four tackles for loss at Louisville.

Dillon Cleckler (6-1, 227, r-So.) and Chris Langston (6-2, 221, r-Sr.) will back up Davis and add depth in the middle. Cleckler saw some action in the middle and extensive action on special teams. Langston played in all 11 games, finishing with 17 tackles and one quarterback sack. He had a season-high four tackles, including a quarterback sack at Louisiana-Lafayette and finished with three tackles against TCU.

Boley worked hard in the spring and moved into the starting weak side linebacker role. He has outstanding speed and agility and really turned a lot of heads during the spring with his tackling ability. Boley played in nine games in 2001 as a redshirt freshman, finishing with five tackles, including half a quarterback sack and a tackle for loss. He had a season-high three tackles, including half of a quarterback sack and a tackle for loss against Tulane.

Chris Vaughn (6-0, 213, r-Sr.) and Carsha Stromas (6-2, 206, r-So.) will add depth and also see time at the weak-side position. Vaughn played in all 11 games, finishing with 32 tackles, including two for loss. Stromas played in all 11 games, finishing with four tackles, mostly on special teams.

Nix, who coaches the inside backers, says last year's youth will serve this year's squad well. "We were a young defense last season," he said. "At one point, we had eight new starters, and now all those guys are back, with the exception of two, and we probably can be classed as a veteran defense."

Defensive Backs
While Chad Williams may have taken his considerable talents on to the NFL, forgive Coach Hopson if he finds plenty to be optimistic about in the defensive backfield. That's where you will find returning starters at three of the four positions, along with solid backup help at every position.

"We used the spring to find people who could make plays for us," Hopson said. "That's what spring is all about, and I think we came out of the spring a far better defensive backfield than we were going in. We answered some questions, got a long look at some players who will be playing key backup roles for us as well as getting a look at some of our mid-year players, such as Tootie Myers (5-11, 190, Fr.)."

In addition to Brooks at one corner, Pruitt is back at free safety, and Alex Ray (5-11, 198, r-Jr.), who played in all 11 games and was the seventh-leading tackler on the team last season, is the probable starter at the rover position, going into the fall. Johnson, last year's starter at the field corner, and Corey Yates, who was the starter at boundary when the 2001 season started, will battle for the starting boundary position.

Johnson played in all 11 games and started 10, finishing with 23 tackles, three interceptions, eight pass breakups and one forced fumble. He had a season-high six pass breakups at Louisiana-Lafayette and finished with six tackles at Louisville and four at East Carolina. He also finished with an interception against Louisiana-Lafayette, Houston and Alabama.

Yates (5-10, 170, r-Sr.) was the starter at boundary corner when the 2001 season started, but a knee injury against Oklahoma State in the season opener ended his year. Even though he wasn't 100 percent during the spring, he has still made a lot of progress and will be ready once fall camp begins in August. He has outstanding speed and cover skills.

Myers, who entered Southern Miss as a freshman this spring after playing professional baseball in the Montreal Expos organization, made a quick impression on the coaches with his outstanding speed and is in the backup spot. Seth Cumbie (5-11, 177, r-So.) battled injuries all season long but made appearances in six games. He had a good spring and is ready to see more action this season.

At the field corner, first-team All-Conference USA and All-American candidate (Greg) Brooks returns for his junior season. He finished as the school's single-season pass breakup leader with 18, breaking Patrick Surtain's record of 15 during the 1997 season. He also had 32 tackles, including a quarterback sack and three interceptions. He finished with a season-high six unassisted tackles against TCU and had four tackles against Alabama and East Carolina. Brooks had five pass breakups at Louisiana-Lafayette and four at Penn State.

John Eubanks (5-11, 160, r-Fr.) sat out his first season on campus to build his strength and skill level. He worked hard throughout the season and showed signs of improvement over the course of the season and during the spring.

Pruitt returns as the starter at free safety this season. He started all 11 games last season and developed a reputation as one of the hardest hitters on the team. He finished as the second-leading tackler on the team with 82, including 59 unassisted, two tackles for loss, half of a quarterback sack, two interceptions and four pass breakups. Pruitt finished with a season-high 13 tackles, including 12 unassisted at Penn State and also had 12 tackles at East Carolina. He was used extensively on special teams and has outstanding leaping ability, blocking several kicks during the season.

Antoine Cash (6-1, 200, r-So.) and Corey Hosey (6-1, 185, r-Jr.) will add depth at free safety. Cash saw action in all 11 games, finishing with 19 tackles, one quarterback sack and two pass breakups. He finished with five tackles against TCU and had four against Oklahoma State. Hosey was redshirted last season after being switched from wide receiver during the spring. He worked hard during the season and spring and showed steady improvement.

Ray is slated to replace Chad Williams at the rover position. He played in all 11 games, used to add depth and as a nickel back. He finished as the seventh-leading tackler with 55 tackles, including 39 unassisted, half a quarterback sack and two tackles for loss. He also forced two fumbles. Ray finished with a season-high 10 tackles against Tulane and posted eight tackles against TCU.

Darrell Bennett (6-0, 190, So.) and Trevis Cooley (6-3, 200, r-Fr.) will add depth at the rover position. Bennett was a wide receiver last season, played in all 11 games but was moved to the rover position this spring and made a smooth transition. Cooley was redshirted last year and could battle for playing time this season.

Special Teams
Punter Mark Haulman (6-0, 175, r-Sr.), an All-Conference USA candidate, returns for his senior season, but a new kicker will have to emerge. There are several candidates for the return positions, and the coaching staff spent a lot of time in the spring trying to fit the best talent in the different special team phases.

Brant Hanna, the school's career leader in extra points made, second in scoring by kickers, third in field goals made and sixth in all-time scoring, finished his career with 33-of-52 in field goals and 92-of-96 in extra points made, including 73 straight, dating back to his sophomore season. He graduated leaving the kicker position open.

Curtis Jones (5-9, 170, r-Sr.), who was Hanna's backup last season, will step in and assume the starting kicker duties. He saw limited action last season, kicking 1-of-1 on his field goal attempts and 3-of-3 on his extra point attempts. He kicked a team-long field goal of 48 yards against Tulane. Jones was 2-of-2 in the spring game in his extra point attempts.

"Curt is a very capable kicker," Special Teams Coach Chad O'Shea said. "I have been excited about him being our kicker since he arrived on campus. I believe he will step in and handle the duties without any problems."

Don Urquhart (5-10, 195, r-Jr.), Luke Johnson (5-10, 240, r-Fr.) and Jacob Matlock (5-10, 185, Jr.) will battle Jones for kickoff duties, also handled by Hanna last season. The three also will add depth at the kicker position.

Haulman enjoyed a solid junior season for the Golden Eagles, finishing with 65 punts for 2,751 yards, an average of 42.3 yards per kick. He had 13 punts land inside the opponents' 20-yard line and seven roll into the end zone. Haulman also had 13 punts that went for 50 or more yards, including a season long of 63 yards against Houston. Johnson, Michael Mayeux (5-10, 180, Fr.) and Matthew Hand (5-10, 200, Jr.) will add depth at the punter position.

"I expect Mark to be the strength of our special teams," O'Shea said. "He is an all-conference candidate and really is capable of big things this year. I believe he will have his best year as a senior."

Chris Johnson, who returned kicks last year, is slated to be the kickoff returner and will add depth at the punt return position. He led the team with 14 kickoffs for 309 yards, an average of 22.1 yards a return with a long return of 40 yards. In the Black & Gold game, Haulman had a solid day, finishing with seven punts for a 46.2 yard average, including three of 50-or-more yards and a long of 57 yards.

Kenneth Johnson, who returned punts last year, is slated to be the punt returner this season. He led the team with 13 returns for 77 yards, a 5.9-yard per return average and had a long return of 13 yards.

"At the punt returner position, we had a lot of problems with guys not catching the ball last fall," O'Shea said. "We are hoping KJ returns to the form that he had as a freshman and that he will keep improving from there."

(Tootie) Myers, a true freshman who enrolled in January 2002 and (John) Eubanks, a redshirt freshman, also will challenge for time as a kick returner. Both display outstanding speed and quickness. In the spring game, Eubanks had two kickoff returns for a 38.5-yard average, and Myers had a pair of punt returns for a 16.5-yard average.

James Martin saw (6-2, 210, Sr.) long snapping duties last season and returns again this year. (Patrick) Barker also could see time at one of the snapper positions as well.

"We worked a lot on special teams during the spring," Bower said. "We have to become more consistent in all phases of the kicking game and be more productive. We were not very good on returns last year and that is an area that we have to improve."