Date: 8/22
Position: Running backs
Position Coach: Larry Warner
Returning Letterwinners (Key stats): Tony Brown (11 games played, 7-42 rush, 6.0 avg, 14 long); Carlos Davis (11 GP, 61-269 rush, 4.4 avg, 2 TDs, 36 long); John Tank Miller (5 GP, 12-38 rush, 3.2 avg, 9 long); Jared Wilson (12 GP, 49-176 rush, 3.6 avg, 1 TD, 26 long)
Letterwinners lost (Key stats): Jalin Buie (did not play in 2019); Tra Minter (12 GP, 193-1,057 rush, 5.5 avg, 5 TDs, 49 long)
Returning Redshirts/Squad Members (Yr., Hometown, Previous school): Terrion Avery (Jr., Wiggins, Miss., Mississippi Gulf Coast CC); Damean Bivins (R-Fr., Pace [Fla.] HS); AJ Phillips (R-Fr., Mobile [Ala.] Chickasaw HS)
Newcomers (Yr., Hometown, Previous school): none
Miscellaneous Notes
-Minter became the second All-American in program history in 2019, earning honorable mention recognition from Phil Steele Publications as an all-purpose back after finishing the season second nationally with 161.92 all-purpose yards per contest.
-He was also the lone first-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection on the team last fall as he ended up third in the league rankings in kickoff returns, and fifth in rushing and punt returns.
-Minter accounted for four of the team's five 100-yard games last season on the way to becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher in program history.
-Davis paced a group of four rising sophomores in yards rushing, which included a career-best 122 yards on just 10 carries against eventual SBC West Division winner Louisiana.
-Wilson also finished with a triple-digit rushing total highlighted by a 95-yard performance in the Jaguars' win over Jackson State.
-Both Brown and Bivins — who redshirted as a freshman in 2019 — averaged better than five yards per carry.
-Miller is one of two returners, joining Davis, to catch multiple passes out of the backfield last fall.
-Avery saw action in each of South's first four contests before sitting out the rest of the campaign to preserve his redshirt.
-The junior was one of two individuals placed on scholarship by head coach Steve Campbell during preseason camp this month.
-Phillips saw limited action on the Jags' kickoff coverage unit and as a linebacker a year ago, but he recorded 4,655 yards and 59 touchdowns on the ground during his prep career at Chickasaw HS.
Larry Warner
-On replacing Tra Minter: "Tra was special. For us now it is about having the guys come to work every day, lining up and going hard. I think we will use a running back by committee until someone steps up and makes the case that they are 'the guy.'"
-On what this group does well: "A lot of these guys have been here for three years and now understand better what we are looking for from them, I like their attention to detail. They can help this offense succeed by just doing the little things, like being able to know the protection and block, and catching the football. I think they can all do that for this offense"
-On what Carlos Davis and Terrion Avery have done to set themselves up to be key players at the position: "They have just been consistent. Carlos ended last year really strong, he came on and had a good game against ULL; he got better as the season went on. He was buried down there on the depth chart for a little while, but he did a good job of trusting the process and continuing to work hard. When he got an opportunity he was able to take advantage it. Terrion has done the same things, he has found his niche and taken off running. He has continued to work hard and that earned him a scholarship and an opportunity to be able to contribute this season."
Terrion Avery
-On what he does well: "I think I bring catching the ball to the table. I am able to hit the hole and just gain yards."
-On what he worked on while redshirting last fall: "I got into and stayed in the playbook. I worked on running routes out of the backfield and my mesh with quarterbacks because I had been out of football for a year."
-On what the team's running backs do well: "Everybody brings something different to the table. I can catch the ball, but we also have power backs and speed backs. With what everyone is capable of doing we can be great."
Carlos Davis
-On what he has done to enter the season as the projected starter: "I've just been taking a lot of mental reps, every rep I take has been very important."
-On what he does best: "I feel like I am an all-around player. I run behind my pads, and every play I go full speed."
-On the strength of the group: "Every one of us brings a different aspect of the game. We have power backs and speed backs, and all of us run hard."
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