Date: 8/19
Position: Wide Receivers
Position Coach: Pete Bennett

Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Kawaan Baker (12 games played, 33-494 rec, 15.0 avg, 4 TDs, 51 long); Davyn Flenord (11 GP, 3-22 rec, 7.3 avg, 10 long); Cade Sutherland (12 GP, 2-22 rec, 11.0 avg, 15 long); Jalen Tolbert (12 GP, 5-60 rec, 12.0 avg, 25 long); Jalen Wayne (4 GP, no receiving stats)

Letterwinners lost (Key stats): David Gardner (1 GP, no receiving stats); Sam Harris (6 GP, 5-78 rec, 15.6 avg, 25 long); Parker Mason (8 GP, no receiving stats); Jordan McCray (12 GP, 29-273 rec, 9.4 avg, 4 TDs, 34 long); Malik Stanley (4 GP, 8-110 rec, 13.8 avg, 1 TD, 26 long); Jahmmir Taylor (11 GP, 4-126 rec, 31.5 avg, 1 TD, 62 long); Jamarius Way (12 GP, 61-855, 14.0 avg, 8 TDs, 73 long)

Returning Redshirts/Squad Members (Yr., Hometown, Previous school): David Webb (Sr., Gadsden [Ala.] City HS); Victor McClinton (So., Eufaula, Ala., Tennessee-Martin); Logan Morgan (So., Spanish Fort [Ala.] HS); Bryson Brewer (R-Fr., Navarre [Fla.] HS); Daqwan Bryant (R-Fr., Calera [Ala.] Montevallo HS); Mo Edwards Jr. (R-Fr., Alabaster [Ala.] Thompson HS)

Newcomers (Yr., Hometown, Previous school): Tre'Veon Hamilton (Sr., Humble, Texas, Memphis); Jamel Thomas (Jr., Caledonia, Miss., Itawamba [Miss.] CC); Nic Bunkosky (Fr., Ponte Vedra Beach [Fla.] Nease HS); Parker Kahlert (Fr., Atlanta [Ga.] Woodward Academy); Demarion Holloman (Fr., Pinson [Ala.] Valley HS); Patrick Palmer (Fr., Cantonment [Fla.] Tate HS); Dajon Richard (Fr., Patterson [La.] HS); Devin Voisin (Fr., Crestview [Fla.] HS)

Miscellaneous Notes
-Way was a second-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection in both his seasons with the program, ending his career third in South's career record books with 108 catches for 1,617 yards.
-He set a school season record with 61 receptions and tied another with eight touchdowns while pacing the Jaguars with 855 yards last fall.
-Baker — who ranked second on the squad in catches and receiving yards a year ago — is a second-team preseason all-conference selection.
-Not only is he the team's top returning receiver, the rising junior led South and was among the top 10 in the league in scoring in 2018 after tying the school season record with 13 total touchdowns.
-The projected starters at the wideout positions — Tolbert and Flenord — combined to record eight receptions for 82 yards last fall.
-Four of Tolbert's five catches came against opponents who would go on to play in a bowl game last season.
-Flenord also made an impact playing on multiple special teams units, blocking a punt at Memphis while posting two tackles and recovering a fumble against Troy in the annual "Battle For The Belt."
-In the slot, Wayne caught three passes as a freshman but was limited to action in four games a year ago while redshirting, and Sutherland posted both of his catches at Louisiana in the next-to-last outing of the 2018 campaign.
-A three-star recruit, Edwards Jr. was an honorable mention all-state selection his final year at Thompson High before sitting out as a redshirt at South last fall.
-Hamilton — who was at Memphis the last two years — earned honorable mention all-conference recognition at Blinn (Texas) CC and was a two-time all-district pick in high school.
-Thomas was named first-team all-region and all-Mississippi Association Of Community & Junior Colleges a season ago after leading the National Junior College Athletic Association with 103.8 receiving yards per contest at Itawamba (Miss.) CC.
-After posting more than 2,000 all-purpose yards and scoring 24 touchdowns last fall at Patterson (La.) HS, Richard was chosen honorable mention all-state as well as first-team all-district, while Voisin earned second-team all-state accolades after catching 41 balls for 974 yards and 10 touchdowns to help Crestview (Fla.) High reach the semifinals of the state playoffs.

Pete Bennett
-On his approach preparing for the 2019 season: "We knew coming into this year that we were going to be young at that spot, I don't think we're any less talented but we're younger and not as experienced.  This summer we really got to work with those guys to find out who can do what with our install, and we moved guys around to where I feel we are capable of getting our best three or four out there regardless of the spot.  But we still have some work to do, we have to get better at finishing plays."
-On what the group does best: "I think they are committed to blocking in the run game, we work hard at that; the main thing is that they've bought into it and take it seriously.  They understand that in order to be able to catch balls we have to be able to run the football, so they are looking to help create some explosive plays in the run game with their blocking on the perimeter."
-On what has helped Jalen Tolbert and Davyn Flenord step into more featured roles within the unit: "Just being a year older and going through another offseason of getting bigger, faster and stronger.  Having been in the system for two full springs and a regular season, they've been able to really grasp what we're trying to do and what I expect out of them, and what it is going to take to be successful.  They were talented last year, being another year older and more mature has allowed them to grow in the offense."

Kawaan Baker
-On the strength of South's wide receivers: "We have a lot of strengths overall, but we are pretty consistent and looking to build off of that.  We want to be well-rounded in every aspect of the game of football."
-On how he can improve on last season's performance: "I try to better myself every day by working on conditioning, having more variety in my routes and working on my speed, and of course blocking.  I want to make sure that I am hustling on every play."
-On his expectations for the group: "We can accomplish big things this year, it's all about our mental preparation and how we go into games.  I expect us to do way better than last year."

Jalen Tolbert
-On his approach to an increased role in the Jaguar offense this fall: "It's just a blessing to be able to step up into a role like this after being behind the guys we had last year.  I come out here and try to be consistent and get better every day, because that's what we're going to need to do in order to be able to win a lot of games this year."
-On what he's learned over the last two season from previous USA wide receivers: "I've learned about consistency, and how to come out every day and practice patience.  I watched those guys who made big plays for two years on and off the field, it was good to sit back and see how other people do it and the approach that they took; that's helped me become the player I am right now."
-On what the team's wide receivers do best: "Being able to consistently make plays, whether it's down the field or running the ball.  We know that if everybody does their job that things will work out for us."

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