As Southern Miss football kicks off the season a week and a half from now, there are questions surrounding the newcomers that head coach Will Hall has added to the team.
The most prominent question asked is, “Which newcomer will be the most impactful on day one?” Luke Johnson, host of the SuperTalk Eagle Hour, believes that Ole Miss transfer Tylan Knight will instantly catch the attention of Golden Eagle fans due to his ability to play multiple positions.
“I’ll go with Tylan Knight because he’s going to play special teams and he’s going to play defense,” Johnson said on a recent episode of SportsTalk Mississippi. “Will Hall just raves about him and he talked about how comfortable he is in his situation, this culture, the environment right now, and I think that will bode well with confidence on the field.”
Knight, a senior from Pearl, spent the past four seasons as a multi-positional player at Ole Miss. After originally coming in to play running back, an injured defensive backs and safeties room paved the way for Knight to become an impactful player on both sides of the ball.
In his four seasons as a Rebel, Knight rushed for 162 yards and averaged five yards per carry. On the defensive side, the Pearl native logged 78 tackles (37 occurred in the 2021 season) and three forced fumbles. Now he looks to make an even bigger mark as a Golden Eagle
According to Johnson, Tylan Knight is expected to be in the mix for Southern Miss’ defense as a nickel defensive back. The senior transfer’s speed will also be utilized in kickoff returns as well as punt returns.
Southern Miss begins its season on Saturday, September 3 at 6 p.m. CT in a home opener against the Liberty Flames who are led by former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze.
