Alabama News Center 2023 football preview: University of South Alabama
South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack, center, says that instead of continuing to celebrate their 10 wins last season, the Jaguars are focusing on what went wrong in their three losses. The competition in fall camp has been fierce, he says. (Scott Donaldson / South Alabama Athletics)
Kane Wommack was confident in his South Alabama football program going into Season 2 of his tenure at the helm, and that confidence proved to be well founded.
“Heading into the ’22 season, I think we were fairly optimistic, maybe more optimistic than the outside world about what we were capable of,” the coach said of the 10-3 campaign. “I don’t think 2022 surprised anybody in our program. However, as proud as we are of what we did, our team would tell you that they are more focused on the three losses than they are the 10 wins. I think we probably left a lot out on the table just in terms of what we felt like we were capable of even a year ago.”
College football season is approaching, and Alabama News Center is previewing the 2023 season. Next up is South Alabama.
Alabama News Center: What are the prospects for this season?
Kane Wommack: This truly is not coach speak. We do not put team goals at the beginning of our season. We don’t talk about conference championships, we don’t talk about bowl games and you won’t see any of those things in our program. What we have challenged our players and coaches is to crank the dial forward and crank the dial up in their respective areas. This was a team that was capable of a lot. We achieved a lot, but we certainly felt like we left a lot on the table in 2022. If each of us, with the continuity that we have and the experience that we have coming back, will just crank the dial up in our respective areas, we’ll accomplish a lot as a team together. You don’t have to set those team goals out there because at the end of the night, we’re all competitors. When we put our head on the pillow, we want to be a team that competes at the highest level.
ANC: What is the strength of this year’s team?
Wommack: You’ve just got a number of experienced playmakers across the board defensively. You have the marquee players, but on top of it, I’d be hard pressed to say that we have a weakness at any given area. I think that’s what creates the makings for a good football team.
ANC: Who are your team’s standouts?
Wommack: It certainly takes 11 bodies that are executing on the field, but there’s always going to be marquee players out there that create more game-changing plays than the next person. The quarterback position is always going to be one of those pivotal and critical positions on the field. Carter Bradley (is) a returning starter. We have not had a returning starter at the quarterback position at South Alabama I think since like 2013 or something along those lines. Obviously, he has a really special skill set. You look at our running backfield, headlined with La’Damian Webb. But you’ve got two players in Braylon McReynolds and Kentrel Bullock that are explosive down the field and another very experienced player that can kind of create those tight, third-and-short goal line package runs. There is Marco Lee on the outside. You’ve got to point to Devin Voisin and Caullin Lacy; both had 65 catches this past season. They are playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. And I think our tight-end room is as competitive as anyone in Group of Five football in terms of what they can do for blocking but also what they provide in the passing game. DJ Thomas-Jones and Lincoln Sefcik will be a big piece of that passing game. Brandon Crum, as a blocker, I think is second to none in this league. Yam Banks and Keith Gallmon, along with Jaden Voisin; those are three returning safeties, all with all-conference accolades. Two of them have All-American accolades. I’d say that the safety room is as competitive as anybody in Group of Five football. Up front, you’ve got Wy’Kevious “Bubba” Thomas and Jamie Sheriff. One is a nose guard who is a difference-maker inside, and Jamie has an opportunity to be one of the best pass rushers in our league.
ANC: What game(s) do your fans have circled on your schedule?
Wommack: I would say that the Troy game is always going to be an important one for our fanbase. It’s a rivalry game and a Battle for the Belt. It’s an in-state competition between two really great Sun Belt teams. Really, we are two teams that have achieved at a high level, coming out of ’22 and going into ’23. I think all of our fans are excited about the first game of the season against Tulane. These are two teams that accomplished a lot in 2022. I would argue that we are two of the better teams in Group of Five football heading into this season. It’ll be a nationally televised matchup and probably one of the best Group of Five matchups in all of college football this season that happens to play out on Week One. (Fans are) certainly excited about that game.
ANC: What is your lingering question?
Wommack: There are always little bitty details you have, typically. It’s always who is replacing returning starters. We’re a team that has 20 of 22 starters returning. There are a lot of questions that are answered to that degree. I do think the level of competition is as high as I’ve ever been a part of going through a fall camp. Who’s going to trot out there as your first 11. Really, we’re trying to find a nucleus of guys that are what we call above the line to go compete at the highest level. Whether they’re starters, whether they’re backups, what is the nucleus of players that we can trust to go execute at a consistent level so that we can make sure that we’re operating with consistency and also able to create explosive plays on both sides of the ball with our marquee players.
Alabama News Center is posting season previews for all 16 college football programs in Alabama. Read previews for Birmingham-Southern College, the University of West Alabama, Jacksonville State University and the University of North Alabama, and look for a new football preview each weekday until the 2023 season begins.
