Date: 8/18
Position: Running Backs
Position Coach: Tim Bowens
Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Xavier Johnson (12 GP, 145 atts, 956 yds, 7 TDs, 6.6 avg, 79.7 ypg), Tyreis Thomas (11 GP, 113 atts, 552 yds, 2 TDs, 4.9 avg, 50.2 jpg), Dami Ayoola (12 GP, 38 atts, 119 yds, 2.8 avg, 8.9 ypg)
Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Terrance Timmons (12 GP, 58 atts, 93 yds, 3 TDs, 1.1 avg, 7.8 ypg)
Newcomers (Yr., Previous school): Jalin Buie (Fr., Trinity Christian Academy)
Miscellaneous Notes
-Johnson was one of eight Jags to earn all-Sun Belt Conference recognition over the summer after being voted preseason second-team all-league by SBC head coaches and selected members of the media.
- Johnson — who is on the Preseason Watch List for the Paul Hornung Award — earned preseason honors on the all-conference squad as a return specialist during the 2015 campaign, coming off a season in which he set a school record with an average of 31.36 yards per kickoff return.
-Johnson was USA's leading rusher a season ago, nearly eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark as he finished the year with 956 yards and a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. He ranked ninth in the SBC with 79.7 ypg.
-Johnson's seven rushing touchdowns accounted for nearly 40 percent of South Alabama's total rushing touchdowns (18) during the 2015 season.
-Thomas and Ayoola ranked second and fourth in rushing for South Alabama as they combined for 657 yards.
-Thomas recorded a career-high 88 yards on 15 carries in Homecoming win over Idaho and also rushed for a season-high 16 times for 84 yards at Texas State.
-Thomas was a first-team National Junior College Athletic Association All-American in 2013 after running for 1,380 yards and 20 touchdowns at Dodge City (Kan.) CC.
-Senior Milton Revell, junior Carlos Robinson II and sophomore Deonta Moore have also received touches in the offensive backfield during preseason camp.
Tim Bowens
- On what role the unit's success will play in the success of the offense: "We have to be consistent. When playing the running back position, you have a lot of phases of the game that you have to be really good at. First and foremost you have to be good in the run game obviously. We have to make sure we are hitting the right holes and know what's happening in front of us. Number two, we have to be able to pass protect. We have some quarterbacks who can sling it and we want to make sure we are doing a heck of a job of those one-on-one match ups and the blocking and the technique. We have to make sure we are 100 percent sound on that with the blitz.
"Thirdly, we need to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield. We have to make sure we are threats in the pass game. Ultimately, when you are able to have a guy come out of the backfield and he's a threat in the pass game, it helps you out tremendously. We want to make sure we are doing that time after time and when those opportunities come that we are making catches and getting yards after the catch [YAC]. In the run game, we also have to make sure we are good at blocking for the next man. We have a lot of phases that we have to be consistent at. We can help our offense be successful if we can be good at all of those things."
-On what Xavier Johnson needs to do to keep himself as the top back of the group: "We always talk about every year is a new year and Xavier has to prove [that he's the top back] every single year. He's come out and had a good camp so far and worked hard every day. He's got to continue to be consistent. He's got to continue to bring it every single day and produce. He has other guys that are pushing him and producing as well. We want to make sure that everybody knows that this thing is wide open. While he was the starter last season, this is a new year, new day and new leadership with a new mind-set. Everything's new. We want to make sure we are embracing that and that we are working every single day as if we're the No. 4 guy. We want to compete to our standard every day. If Xavier continues to do that, he'll have an opportunity to be the first guy called out there on the field."
-On the experience of the group returning three of the top four rushers from last season and dividing that playing time with the group: "You have Xavier and Tyreis [Thomas] who have both carried the ball quite a bit in games and then you have Dami [Ayoola] who has some carries. We want to see who can be the guys who can carry the load and they've stepped up to the plate and wanted to show that they can do the little things right. My thing now with them is can you do it consistently, can you do it the next time? Also can the other guys who haven't been playing go out and do it? We've gotten some good play out of those guys. We just got to be consistent and do the little things – running with good pad level, have great ball security and get vertical. A lot of times you don't realize that if you just got vertical, how many more yards you could get.
"We've got Deonta [Moore], Milton [Revell] and Carlos [Robinson II] and Jalin Buie. Dami got some carries [last season] but he hasn't played in many full games. Being able to have those guys go in there and get those reps is pivotal for us. We want to make sure our running backs are able to have some production in the pass game and run game, and be able to pick up the blitzes, and all those other little things. We want to make sure that we are able to do that when the lights are on and we're in the stadium."
Xavier Johnson
-On his leadership role for both the offense and for the team: "Leadership is a big thing to me. As a leader, you want to make sure guys are doing the right things both on and off the field. You want to see each other do better and be greater. As a leader, you want to get everyone on the right path."
-On what he needs to do this season in order to continue to elevate himself as one of the top rushers in the conference: "I need to be consistent. I need to play smart and do the right things on and off the field."
-On earning preseason all-Sun Belt honors: "It means a lot to me, but honestly, I know that I still have to put in the work. The preseason honor is nice, but I know I just have to keep working and pushing myself and the other guys to do the same."
Tyreis Thomas
-On the experience of the group: "Having the experience we do is great. Last year, we were able to do a couple of good things for the team and I wish we could have done more to help get us some more wins. The experience that we bring back this season always helps your team. We return a lot of seniors and players that did well last year and hopefully we can build on that."
-On how their effectiveness can help open up the offense more: "Our success helps the offense a lot. I think every analyst of the game at the professional, college, high school or whatever level says that if you are able to run the ball that it will open up the rest of your offense. The defense has to adjust to that and pack the box a little bit more. Our wide receivers are real good. While they lack some game experience, our ability to run the ball will help them and the rest of our offense."
-On how the redshirt year affected the start of the season for him last year: "It was actually probably the best thing that could have happened to me. At the time, I didn't believe so, but it was a humbling experience for me. Coming of JUCO ranked as one of the top players and the No. 1 player in my conference, I came here and took that year off. At the same time, my work ethic wasn't the same as when I first went to JUCO because I was trying to not get hurt. I should have been working even harder. Last year was a wakeup call for me and was humbling experience let me know that nothing was going to be handed to me. I have to take it like I did in JUCO."
-On how he developed last year as the season progressed and what he has done since last season to continue that growth: "A lot of people have told me that I look like I've lost some weight, but I really haven't. I've just leaned up more. I ran a lot this summer. I've also worked on recognizing defenses better. I've spent a lot of time with coach [Richard] Owens working out schemes and understanding defensive fronts. I feel that's made me a smarter player."
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