Fourth JUCO signee announced
The University of South Alabama added one more junior college signee to its 2015 class when Arizona Western running back Dami Ayoola’s official paperwork arrived on Friday according to the University.
Ayoola, 5’10” 205-pound, three-star prospect, played his freshman season at the University of Illinois before transferring to Arizona Western. This season he carried the ball 109 times for 404 yards and caught 11 passes for 156 yards while finishing fifth on the team with 592 all-purpose yards.
Against New Mexico Military Institute he had a season-best 129 yards on 22 carries.
Ayoola is originally from Fort Lauderdale and St. Thomas Aquinas High School where he was ranked the 18th best tailback in the country by MaxPreps.com.
“Dami is a very good football player, he played as a true freshman at Illinois,” head coach Joey Jones said. “He’s a versatile running back. He can run the football, catch it and pass protect, and do all those things very well.”
Ayoola will join the Jaguars with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
He will help bolster a backfield that go very thin late in the season due to injuries and that will graduate two seniors after the bowl game on Saturday.
Jags add former UAB TE to list enrolling in January
Yet another former UAB Blazer football player has joined the list of players who have said they will enroll at South Alabama in January. Gerald Everett, a 6’3″ 215-pound tight end, will enroll at South Alabama to help fill the Jaguars need at tight end.
He joins a list that includes quarterbacks Cody Clements and Austin Chipoletti, offensive linemen Lee Dufour and Cameron Blankenship and wide receiver/running back D.J. Vinson who have announced their intentions to continue their collegiate careers as Jaguars.
South Alabama is also interested in UAB running back Jordan Howard, who is receiving lots of attention from other schools. He visited campus earlier in the week and was a spectator at one of the Jaguars bowl practices.
Everette came to UAB after playing a season at Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College. He caught 17 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown this season as a Blazer. He will have two years of eligibility remaining as a Jaguar.
USA offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent who returned to South Alabama after one season at the same position at UAB under former USA defensive coordinator Bill Clark. Undoubtedly Vincent’s ties to the players have been key factors in their decisions to enroll at South Alabama.
Jags held final practice prior to Camellia Bowl
South Alabama held their final practice of the season Thursday on the campus of Huntingdon College’s Charles Lee Field in Montgomery in preparation for their first-ever bowl appearance.
The team practiced in shells and went through their gameplan for their opponent, Bowling Green. It was shorter than usual as an attempt to let the team rest some while also keeping the gameplan fresh in the team’s mind.
In something that may have become a tradition for the team, players switched jerseys for the Thursday workouts. For instance Maleki Harris, normally donning number six, was wearing 77 while offensive lineman Chris May was wearing the number eight. Several other player had made switches as well.
“I don’t know when it started but a few years ago on the last day of practice you had a guy, I’m not going to say any names, but he’s 5-foot-4, 162 pounds, wearing a 6-foot-2, 300-pound guy’s jersey,” Jaguar head coach Joey Jones explained to AL.com. “It looked kind of funny and they had to tie it up in the back. It’s fun. … Our guys work and they know the priorities and they’re going to work hard. And if they’re going to work their tails off and still have fun, I’m good with it.”
After practice both South Alabama and Bowling Green visited the Rosa Parks Museum, at different times.
On Friday, USA president Tony Waldrop along with members of the USA Board of Trustees and executive administration will volunteer at the Montgomery Area Food Back from 2-4pm. USA volunteers along with Southpaw, will help prepare food for distribution at the warehouse in Montgomery and they will all be dressed in Jaguar athletic jerseys.
Previewing Bowl Green – Camellia Bowl Edition
Photos: usajaguars.com
South Alabama and Bowling Green will tee it up at 8:15PM on Saturday at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery for the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. Here is a short rundown on the Falcons.
Bowling Green plays in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), they enter the game with a 7-6 record overall and a 5-3 record in conference play. Head coach Dino Babers is in his first season as the Falcons’ head coach and has a 26-13 record in three seasons as a head coach overall.
The Falcons lead the nation in transitioning from their previous offensive play to the next. Quarterback Jame Knapke assumed the starting job after Matt Johnson suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the season. Knapke has thrown for 2,805 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season. He has rushed for 126 yards a two touchdowns.
South Alabama enters the game as a 3-point favorite. The Falcons enter the game on a three-game losing skid after being blown out in the MAC championship by Northern Illinois 51-17. The Jaguars enter the game after a heartbreaking loss at home to Navy 42-40 after the Jags had two successful 2-point conversions negated by penalties before failing the convert the third attempt.
Here is a breakdown of stats between the two teams:
Jags sign 3 JUCO student-athletes; UAB QB Clements to enroll in January
Head coach Joey Jones announced Wednesday that three JUCO transfers will be joining the program this spring.
James Bynes, Quinton Lane and Tyrone Williams will all enroll at South Alabama in January and all three will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Bynes, a 6’3″ 215-pound tight end from Miami, FL., played last season at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College. In 11 games he caught 30 passes for 269 yards with a season-high eight catches for 54 yards against Butler (Kansas) C.C. which would place him in the top 15 in the final NJCAA rankings.
Lane, a 6’2″ 195-pound cornerback, led Itawamba (Mississippi) C.C. with eight passes broken up while collecing 25 total stops and a fumble recovery.
Williams, a 6’3″ 200-pound wide receiver was named first-team All-MACJC as a sophomore after leading MGCCC with 46 catches, 812 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Bulldogs finished 8-2 on the season and seventh in the final NJCAA poll. His touchdown total was good for 10th in the nation while he was also among the top 20 in both receiving yards and yards per catch. He went over 100 yards in three games last season with a season-high of 144 against Northeast Mississippi C.C. In 2012, as a freshman, he caught 34 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns on a team that would finish sixth in the final NJCAA rankings.
Also, it was made official on Wednesday that former UAB quarterback Cody Clements will enroll at South Alabama in January to join the football team. He will be a senior with one season of eligibility remaining.
Read more
Jags final practice in Mobile; JUCO signing day
Photos: usajaguars.com
South Alabama closed out their final practice at home on Tuesday morning and, in what has become a tradition at USA, the underclassmen carried the seniors off the practice field following the team’s final home practice.
The team then loaded buses and arrived in Montgomery Tuesday afternoon to finish out their preparations in Montgomery for Saturday’s bowl game.
The Jaguars will practice at Huntingdon College on Wednesday and Thursday then have a walk-through session at the Cramton Bowl on Friday. But they will also be participating in some of the bowl festivities leading up to the game.
In the midst of all of this, Wednesday is the first day that Junior College transfers can sign National Letter of Intent’s. In what may be their best recruiting year ever for this young team, they expect to sign up to five JuCo players today.
Tight end James Bynes of Dodge City (Kansas) Community College, defensive back Quinton Lane of Itawamba (Mississippi) Community College and wide receiver Tyrone Williams of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College are among the student-athletes expected to sign.
Three UAB players have announced their intentions to enroll at South Alabama in January with more of their teammates expected to join them. Offensive linemen Lee Dufour, Cameron Blankenship and quarterback Austin Chipoletti have all announced their intentions. A twitter account bearing the name of UAB quarterback Cody Clements said he was transfering to USA, but it is uncertain if that is true.
Head coach Joey Jones and defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Turner are looking to fill needs. Turner told AL.com that they are looking to sign up to five JUCO players and possibly add more to that list depending on the UAB situation. The five players they are targeting are for positions where they need help immediately.
The hiring of Bryant Vincent seems to have sparked more excitement in the offense. Quarterback Brandon Bridge said he was very pleased with the pace of the offense since Vincent took over. Even coach Jones said that there has been a different feel in practices recently.
So much focus has been on the change on the offensive side of the ball, but the Jaguar defense will be tested as well. Bowling Green leads the country in how quickly it can transition from one play to the next of offense. This has created challenges for defenses all season and it will be something the Jags must be prepared for.
Communication will be key. There may be times when coaches cannot get the call in quickly enough and the players must be able to identify certain formations and be able to communicate that to their teammates so they can check into certain coverages or defensive fronts.
The excitement for the bowl game and the good practices the team has had over the last few days should have every fan excited. This will be the Jaguars time to shine in their first-ever prime time national television broadcast.
South Alabama and Bowling Green kick off at 8:15pm on Saturday in Montgomery for the Raycom Camellia Bowl at the Cramton Bowl. USA has sold out of their allotment of tickets. If you do not have your tickets yet, you better get them quick. They are selling quickly with reports of only a “few hundred” left.
South Alabama hype video
Watch the hype video that was created for the Camellia Bowl. There is so much awesome in this video. I know this red, white and blue fan was eagerly excited and moved to tears. It’s an amazing accomplishment for this school, this program and these players and those that paved the way to Saturday’s game.
Jaguars host two interesting guests for Mondays practice
South Alabama continues to prepare for thier first bowl appearance this Saturday in the Raycom Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. They had two interesting guests viewing practice on Monday morning.
Photos: usajaguars.com
Former Alabama head coach Ray Perkins was at the Jaguars practice facility but that was not the name that drew the most attention. It was UAB running back Jordan Howard who drew the most attention.
Howard, a 6’1″, 228-pound sophomore who rushed for 1,587 yards and 13 touchdowns this season for the Blazers, has been receiving lots of interest across the country after UAB announced it was shutting down the football program.
The Gardendale, AL native has drawn interest from schools such as Indiana, Notre Dame, Louisville, Vanderbilt among others.
South Alabama head coach Joey Jones hired former UAB offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent as the Jaguars new offensive coordinator. Howard averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 132.2 yards per game under Vincent’s direction of the offense.
South Alabama’s backfield was very thin by the end of the regular season. Jay Jones suffered a season-ending knee injury in the sixth game of the season and was the Jaguars leading rusher at that time with 393 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Kendall Houston stepped up finished the season with 659 yards rushing and a touchdown to lead the Jaguars in that category. Junior Terrance Timmons rushed for 382 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Xavier Johnson rushed for 417 yards and a touchdown, but missed playing time late in the season due to a shoulder injury.
Howard is expected to make a decision soon and if he chose South Alabama he would reunite with offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent as well as center Lee Dufour and quarterback Cody Clements who both announced they would be transferring to South Alabama from UAB.
Camellia Bowl Ticket allotment sold out; Coach Jones announces uniform selection
Two announcements on Monday concerning the Jaguars first-ever bowl game.
Monday morning an email went out announced that there were only 50 tickets remaining in the Jaguars allotment for the Camellia Bowl. But sometime before noon they were sold out.
On the Joey Jones radio show, Coach Jones announced that the team will be wearing their Jungle Smoke uniforms. This will be the second time they have worn them with the first being against Navy on November 28.
Jaguars receive verbal from UAB Center
South Alabama continued their preparation for the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl on Saturday when they hosted several members of the UAB football team. They were all viewing the Jaguars facilities and the practice session as they consider their options for continuing their playing careers.
While coaches are not allowed to talk about prospects, such as the ones from UAB, until they are enrolled in classes. But at least two have publicly announced that they are transferring to South Alabama.
UAB freshman center Lee Dufour received a scholarship offer and announced this intention to enroll at USA in January. Dufour is a Saraland native and is eager to return close to home, which was a big factor in his decision.
A twitter account for UAB quarterback Cody Clements, who has one year of eligibility remaining, announced that he would be transferring to South Alabama. This has not been verified. This would reunite him with his offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Bryant Vincent from this past season if it’s true.
This may not be the only student-athletes who choose to transfer to South Alabama. Check back for updates throughout this process.