MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones announced Wednesday that a trio of junior-college transfers will join the program for the spring semester.

James Bynes, Quinton Lane and Tyrone Williams will enroll in school in January and have two years of eligibility remaining.

"Whenever we sign junior college kids it's to fill a need," Jones explained.  "We're losing a real good tight end this year in Wes [Saxton] but bringing in another to fit that spot, and although we have some seniors coming back at wide receiver we need to build some depth behind them.  The cornerback position is the most critical area we needed to address, and Quinton is a guy who we believe can come in and be very good."

Bynes is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound tight end from Miami, Fla., who played last season at Dodge City (Kan.) C.C.  In 11 contests for the Conquistadors, he caught 30 passes for 269 yards, including a high of eight catches — for 54 yards — against Butler (Kan.) C.C., which would go on to finish among the top 15 in the final National Junior College Athletic Association rankings.  Bynes, who was a member of the program at Jackson State the previous two years, posted a season-best 65 yards in DCCC's last game against Highland (Kan.) C.C.

Lane paced Itawamba (Miss.) C.C. with eight passes broken up in the fall, adding 25 total stops and one fumble recovery.  The 6-foot-2, 195-pound cornerback — who hails from Ackerman, Miss. — was credited with a season-best four tackles four times during the 2014 campaign, including three straight outings to close out the season; in the Indians' finale, Lane collected four solo stops against nationally-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C.  As a freshman, he had 11 tackles to go along with three passes defensed while helping the team qualify for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges playoffs.

A resident of Kiln, Miss., Williams was named first-team all-MACJC as a sophomore after pacing MGCCC with 46 receptions, 812 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Bulldogs ended the year 8-2 and seventh in the final NJCAA poll; he concluded the season 10th in the nation in touchdowns, and was among the top 20 in both yards receiving and per catch.  The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wide receiver had 100 or more yards in three contests last fall, with a high of 144 — to go along with two scores — in a victory over Northeast Mississippi C.C.  As a freshman in 2012, Williams caught 34 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns as the team was sixth in the final NJCAA rankings.

The trio will join a Jaguar program that will be playing in its first-ever postseason bowl on Saturday, when USA meets Bowling Green at 8:15 p.m. (CST) in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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