Will Hall has signed a top-three recruiting class in the Sun Belt in each of his first three years as the head coach in Hattiesburg, with the 2024 class marked as the top class in the league. But there is pressure to win now at Southern Miss, and 17 new transfer additions are evidence of that.
Here’s who is most likely to make an immediate impact in the 2024 campaign:
Tate Rodemaker | Quarterback | Florida State
The first three years of the Will Hall era have frustrated Southern Miss fans, particularly at the quarterback position. A rash of injuries and misses in the transfer portal forced the Golden Eagles to trudge through with what they had – which often wasn’t much. With the transfer addition of Rodemaker, the return of dynamic sophomore Ethan Crawford, and the arrival of Mississippi’s all-time career high school passing yards record holder John White, the room is as well constructed as it’s been in years.
Though Rodemaker was never an everyday starter for Mike Norvell and the Seminoles, he has appeared in 23 games and played in nine contests in 2023 during a top-10 year in Tallahassee. The redshirt junior injects real experience into the offense and exhibited an above-average arm with good accuracy at Florida State. The battle between Ethan Crawford and Rodemaker should be a good one.
Dontae Lucas | Offensive Lineman | South Alabama
After earning second-team freshman All-America honors at Florida State in 2019, Lucas moved on to become a multi-year starter for Kane Wommack at South Alabama. He started 11 games for the Jaguars in 2023 and is expected to be an anchor up front for Sam Gregg and Will Hall.
Lucas was ranked as one of the best 25 offensive line transfers in the country and has been hailed by Hall as one of the best Group of Five linemen in America. With no Frank Gore, Jr., at running back and a bundle of veterans gone from last year’s group, Lucas needs to be as good as advertised for the Southern Miss offense to be competitive.
Will James | Defensive Back | Mississippi State
James was a high school commit to Will Hall and the Golden Eagles before flipping and committing to Mississippi State ahead of signing day in 2022. The Alabama product was a part of Zach Arnett’s lone class as the head coach in Starkville and entered the transfer portal just days after Arnett was canned.
Southern Miss struggled mightily defending the pass in 2023, particularly in the second half of the season when the injury bug bit a slew of defensive backs. Many of those lost to injury return in the defensive backfield, and James will compete for a starting spot after playing a single game for Mississippi State last year.
Braxton Myers | Cornerback | Purdue
As a redshirt freshman, Myers is another defensive back transfer who will add some needed youthful depth to Clay Bignell’s defense. The Coppell, Texas native was ranked the No. 27 cornerback in the country when he signed with Ole Miss. He followed former Rebel defensive backs coach Sam Carter to Purdue before landing in Hattiesburg in the spring.
With the loss of Zay Franks, a projected starter at the cornerback position who is out for 2024 due to a neck injury, Myers will have ample opportunity to push for real playing time in his first campaign in Hattiesburg.
Desmyn Baker | Linebacker | Western Kentucky
Gone are veteran mainstays Swayze Bozeman, Hayes Maples, and TQ Newsome in the linebacker corps, but Hall and his staff added two veteran backers in Baker and Tre Pinckney. Baker started 11 games for the Hilltoppers in 2023, played in 10 games at Rice in 2021, and was a standout at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
After making 46 stops in 2023, Baker will be asked to carry a significant burden for the Southern Miss defense that lost seven starters from last year’s team.
Tre Pinckney | Linebacker | Coastal Carolina
Like Baker, Pinckey brings a wealth of college football experience to an otherwise young Golden Eagle linebacker group. The Mableton, Ga. product played 19 games the past two seasons at Coastal Carolina before becoming a late but welcome addition to the 2024 signing class for Will Hall. Pinckney was also a JUCO All-American in 2021.
Reports out of Southern Miss’ fall camp indicate both Pinckney and Baker will play integral roles in the middle of the Golden Eagle defense.
Zack Conti | Offensive Line | Eastern Michigan
The offensive line has been much maligned alongside the quarterback woes in Hall’s first three years at the helm. Bryce Ramsey, John Bolding, and Gerquan Scott departed either to graduation or the transfer portal, leaving some doubt that the group could take a step forward in a pressure-filled 2024.
But Conti and Dontae Lucas’s arrival should assuage some of those concerns. Conti began as a walk-on but earned a scholarship and an everyday starting job at Eastern Michigan over the past two seasons. The duo of Conti and Lucas at opposite offensive guard positions should set a solid foundation on the line in 2024.
Dannis Jackson | Wide Receiver | Missouri
The former top 150 high school recruit is headed back home for his final year of eligibility after three years at Ole Miss and a season at Missouri. With 30 games of DI college football experience under his belt, he’ll have a chance to become a premiere piece of the offense.
With the departure of four wideouts that drew starts in 2023, Jackson’s experience and playmaking ability will be leaned on in the early going for the Golden Eagles.
Larry Simmons | Wide Receiver | Ole Miss
Like Jackson, Simmons will have a chance to make immediate noise in the black and gold. He played sparingly at Ole Miss but was a coveted prospect out of high school and he helps replace some of the size that was lost at wide receiver from last year’s team.
Veterans like Ti Mims and Chandler Pittman will carry a lot of weight in the new Chip Long offense, but pressure could be alleviated everywhere if transfers like Simmons and Jackson can play a big role quickly.
