The Southern University football team opens spring practice Wednesday with a 3 p.m. workout, and second-year coach Eric Dooley isn’t talking about the next three weeks as if it’s going to be a picnic.
The Jaguars are coming off a 7-5 record and the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division title, but that still doesn’t meet Southern’s standards. The offensive-minded Dooley wants a sense of urgency after his offense sputtered toward the end of his first season.
“We’ve got to become more consistent on offense. We have to understand every day has to be our day,” Dooley said of spring drills, which will culminate in the Blue and Gold game April 1. “We have to move the ball whether passing or running. The defense has to pick up where it left off. We have some pieces missing. It’s not the same players but we expect better results.”
The Jaguars will work five days a week for their 15 practices allowed by the NCAA, taking Sundays and Wednesdays off after the first practice. Dooley has scheduled scrimmages for March 18 and March 25.
During the six weeks since the start of classes in January, the Jaguars have been working out under strength and conditioning coach Davasia Jones.
“They’ve been training hard and we’re stronger and faster,” Dooley said. “The volume of teaching will be lower, and we can work on executions. They picked up our system well. It’s up to us to continue the consistency, execution and take it to another level in all phases.
“What we are good at I want to get better, and the things we are weak at pull that up. That was throwing the football on a consistent basis. We were able to throw it some games, but it has to be a more consistent basis.”
The roster at the end of spring also could look different than when the team reassembles for fall practice in early August. The NCAA transfer portal will reopen from May 1-15, and Dooley already has said he could “bring in three or four more players.” The Jaguars also could lose a few.
Six absent
Six players from the signing class will not be available, including freshman quarterbacks C’Zavian Teasett and Jalen Woods, transfer defensive tackles Deris Jackson and Jelani Davis, Grambling transfer running back Corey Russell, and Prairie View transfer wide receiver Jailon Howard.
RBs abound
Southern could have an overabundance of running backs. Kendric Rhymes, Karl Ligon and Braelen Morgan finished the season while Jerodd Sims and Kobe Dillon are coming off of injuries. Sims and Dillon will participate but limited to allow them to fully recover fro their injuries.
Flag waving
Southern averaged the seventh-most penalty yards per game (71.4) but were the third-most penalized team with 104 in 12 games for an 8.7 average per game last season. Dooley lamented all of the pre-snap penalties, especially offsides, and vowed to focus on that aspect in the spring.
“We’ll have drills, but it’s also going 11 on 11 and important to have refs around so the guys become familiar,” he said. “The guys who had offsides penalties were guys who hadn’t played much. With more experience I expect different results. They’ve got to keep their composure.”
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