Kane Wommack, South Alabama looking to ‘maximize momentum’ from breakout 2022 season

With the offseason training program in full swing and about six weeks into spring training, South Alabama football coach Kane Wommack is hoping to continue the best season in school history.

The Jaguars went 10-3 in 2022, doubling their overall wins from the previous year and reaching a bowl game for the first time in six seasons. Wommack said the remnants of that breakout season have started to manifest themselves in recruitment.

“I think we’ve done a really good job of maximizing the dynamics of our program in terms of success on the field and how that has impacted our recruitment specifically,” Wommack said. “Part of our initial recruitment effort was to keep our players. We really did that throughout recruitment and it was successful.

“It’s an ongoing endeavor and will continue to be something that separates great teams from teams that are torn apart from one year to the next. We see it across the country and we’re really lucky not to be in that position.”

South Alabama has four Division I transfers on the program: offensive linemen Jordan Davis (South Carolina) and Reed Buys (Mississippi State), wide receiver Javon Ivory (Memphis) and running back Kentrel Bullock (Ole Miss). Also new to the team this semester are two December signers: quarterback Gio Lopez from James Clemens High School in Madison and cornerback Reggie Neely, a transfer from East Mississippi Community College.

In addition to the four Division I transfers, South Alabama signed a total of 12 high school and junior college players in December. Running back PJ Martin, a Louisiana All-State selection, signed with the Jaguars earlier this month and will sign when the grace period begins Wednesday.

Though Martin is the only public signing so far, Wommack said South Alabama will sign a handful of additional recruits Wednesday. Among those who could end up with the Jaguars are Theodore cornerback Will James and two junior college defensemen: Mississippi Gulf Coast’s La’Dareyen Craig (a Baker High School graduate who once played in South Carolina) and Juwon Gaston of Northeast Mississippi (a Montgomery native who originally signed with Auburn).

“I think we did a great job of bringing these young guys to our campus in terms of the high school market, some of these guys that we were able to sign,” Wommack said. “I think it’s our most talented class that we’ve dropped out of high school. I thought we were very picky about what we took off the transfer portal, partly because we had multiple starters returning to that team.

“…We still have a few gaps to fill and we’ll probably leave some slots open for (the second transfer portal window) in May. You have to see where you are at bounceball and then be able to address specific needs, now more than ever.”

Of the players who started the season-ending New Orleans Bowl, only four have since left the program. The biggest departures are wide receiver Jalen Wayne, center James Jackson and cornerback Darrell Luter, all seniors in their fifth or sixth years who have exhausted their eligibility.

South Alabama has suffered minimal losses on the transfer portal, with only outside linebacker CJ Rias making a major contribution last season (Rias has yet to sign with another school). Backup quarterback Desmond Trotter joined the portal in December but chose to return to the Jaguars for his senior year in college football.

“That was huge,” Wommack said. “We told him, ‘We want you to be able to go into the portal and take a look.’ Desmond has earned the right to explore the portal and still have a home with our team. It was great that he was able to explore a few options and felt that being here was his best option.”

A big change of position is on the horizon for next season, as central defender Quentin Wilfawn will move to the winger wolf position to support the Jaguars’ pass rush. However, Wilfawn will miss spring as he continues to recover from the neck/shoulder surgery that ended his 2022 season after just three games.

There was some coaching attrition when cornerbacks coach and recruiting ace Dwike Wilson left for Southern Miss last week. Seth McDonald, a graduate assistant who worked closely with the Jaguars’ outside linebackers, accepted a full-time position at Austin Peay.

Both Wilson and McDonald had been with Wommack for several years. McDonald played for Wommack in Eastern Illinois from 2014-2015, and both he and Wilson worked for Wommack in Indiana from 2018-2020 before following him to South Alabama.

Wommack said he is still looking for a full-time replacement for Wilson.

“I tell our coaches that all the time – they know best what’s right specifically for them and their families,” Wommack said. “And so if an opportunity helps them in their careers or if it helps them financially or in their retirement or whatever it is, I’m certainly not going to stop anyone from doing that.”

“You lose someone like Dwike Wilson, who’s a great recruiter — most importantly, he has a deep connection to Mississippi. I think we need to focus on connecting with Mississippi and recruiting staff. And then the development of some of these young corners will be crucial. So there are a few (coaching candidates) that we are speaking to right now who would be able to move the dial forward in this space, both on the recruitment front and from a development perspective.

“Seth, this is a guy I’ve known since he was 17 years old. I trained him, he trained for me. He had a (full-time) job at Austin Peay. I think this guy has a bright future.”

Spring drills in South Alabama begin March 17, a Friday. The annual Red and Blue spring game will be held at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Saturday April 15th.

Recruiting Class South Alabama 2023

Signatories in December (12)

Cole Blaylock, SAF, 6-0, 190, Mobile/UMS-Wright Prep

Josh Bledsoe, CB, 6-2, 170 LaFayette, Ala./LaFayette HS

Jarvis Durr, RB, 5-11, 193, Brandon, Miss/Brandon HS

Anthony Eager, WR/KR, 6-1, 170, Mobile/McGill-Toolen Catholic

Adrian Griffin, OL, 6-5, 260, Pleasant Grove, Alabama/Pleasant Grove HS

Gio Lopez, QB, 6-1, 210, Madison, Ala./James Clemens HS*

Reggie Neely, CB, 6-0, 170, Memphis, Tennessee/East Mississippi CC*

Jordan Norman, DE, 6-3, 230, Hoover, Ala./Hoover HS

Shamar Sandgren, WR, 6-2, 180, Savannah, Ga./Itawamba (Miss.) CC

Trent Thomas, TE, 6-6, 225, Mobile/Cottage Hill Christian

John Michael Ward, OL, 6-5, 280, Century, Fla./Northview HS

Karon Weary, SAF, 6-2, 180, Columbia, Miss./East Marion HS

Division I transfers (4)

Kentrel Bullock, RB, 5-10, 210, Columbia, Miss./Ole Miss*

Reed Buys, OL, 6-4, 300, Vicksburg, Mississippi/Mississippi*

Jordan Davis, OL, 6-5, 300, Fairburn, GA/South Carolina*

Javon Ivory, WR, 6-1, 200, Grove Hill, Alabama/Memphis*

Confirmations in February (1)

PJ Martin, RB, 5-10, 200, New Orleans/De La Salle HS

* — Enrolled in January, will attend the spring internship