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Athlon Sports
South Alabama Football: 2024 Jaguars Season Preview and Prediction
By Athlon Sports,
2 days ago
South Alabama could be a sleeper in the Sun Belt race. The Jaguars have a handful of very impressive young offensive players. With Major Applewhite getting another shot at being a head coach, expect the Jags to once again have a scoring offense in the top quarter of FBS. Turnovers and penalties have been glaring issues, and that simply has to improve.
In a coaching move that few expected, South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack resigned his position this offseason to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama under Kalen DeBoer. Wommack was replaced as head coach by offensive coordinator and former Houston head coach Major Applewhite. Applewhite inherits six returning starters on offense in 2024, although he’ll have to replace the starting quarterback, running back and leading receiver.
One player who will have to step up for his new head coach is redshirt freshman quarterback Gio Lopez. Lopez appeared in five games behind Carter Bradley last season and was a driving force in the Jaguars’ bowl win over Eastern Michigan, throwing for three touchdowns and running for one. Athletic as he is, he’ll be playing behind an offensive line that is replacing some key pieces and will have to jell quickly. His favorite target will likely be Devin Voisin, who missed most of last season with injury but caught 64 passes in 2022.
The Jaguars had the second-best total defense in the Sun Belt last season, allowing an average of 313.2 yards and 21 points per contest.
Safety Jaden Voisin was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection last season and will once again be critical to his team’s success. He picked off four passes with 11 total passes defended and an impressive 71 tackles in 2023. Hanging on to him is a massive win for Applewhite and new defensive coordinator Will Windham. Oklahoma State transfer Lardarius Webb Jr. also adds a useful piece to the Jaguars’ secondary.
Another important component of the defense will be defensive tackle Wy’Kevious Thomas’ ability to plug up the middle. Thomas was an anchor on a unit that allowed a league-low 11 rushing touchdowns last season. The Georgia native has made at least 35 total tackles in each of the last three seasons.
Versatile running back Kentrel Bullock should once again return kickoffs after averaging 19.1 yards per return last season. Punter Jack Martin also returns after averaging 40.2 yards per punt on 42 punts last season. Laith Marjan has transferred in to handle placekicking after serving as a kickoff specialist for East Carolina last season.
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