'Starting From Scratch': Southern Miss Football Coach Speaks After Spring Practice

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Although baseball season is in full swing, glimpses of football season are entering the picture in Hattiesburg as Southern Miss begins spring practices. After securing a winning season in 2025 with a 7-6 record, the Golden Eagles will try to build on that momentum in 2026 despite having a completely new roster.

Following the team's first spring practice on Tuesday, first-year Golden Eagles head coach Blake Anderson spoke to the media and was candid about where his team currently stands.

USM — Blake Anderson speaks to the media after being announced as the new head football coach for the Golden Eagles at the Thad Cochran Center on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. | Matt Bush/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"First day, loved the way the guys worked. We've just got a long, long way to go," Anderson said. "But the energy was good, and they fought through getting spring break out from underneath them. Tomorrow will be a good telltale. Come back, and does it pick up, do we look a little bit more like we know where to go and what to do? I'm pleased with how they worked, but it's obvious we have a long way to go to get where we need to be, to be a good football team, which is kinda what I expected."

Anderson likes the work ethic he sees from his new roster, but also understands that it's going to take a while to get his team where it needs to be. After losing several key players to graduation and the transfer portal after former head coach Charles Huff left for Memphis, Anderson had to assemble a new staff and a roster gameplan on the fly back in December.

USM — After just one season in Hattiesburg, Charles Huff left Southern Miss to be the head coach at Memphis after securing a 7-6 record. The Golden Eagles had 3-9 and 1-11 records in the two years prior to Huff's arrival. | Matt Bush/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We're 138 out of 138 football teams in terms of returning production. Never had it to where we just were starting from scratch. But that can't be an excuse," Anderson said. "We just gotta figure it out. We gotta find guys that can do it, and I don't think we're gonna do that in the first couple days of spring. It's gonna take some time, but if they work like they worked today, and we can stay healthy, then we'll battle."

Roster-building in today's NIL climate in college sports has never been more difficult for mid-major programs, and the challenge was made even more difficult for Anderson and his staff due to the timing of Huff's departure. Like Anderson said, though, that can't be an excuse, and the Golden Eagles will push forward through spring training to figure out exactly what they have for this season.

USM — Through the transfer portal, Southern Miss brought in senior quarterback Ethan Hampton, who previously played for Northern Illinois and Illinois. During his sophomore year at NIU, Hampton led his team to a victory over No. 5 Notre Dame on the road. | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

"I've not been through what we're going through now (in my career). I'm not sure many people honestly have," Anderson said. "Typically, going into spring, you've got a handful of guys that you've seen play, and you kind of know what they did the year before. And we don't. We're starting from scratch on 99 percent of this roster. So we're having to evaluate and teach basically every position, all day, every day. ... We'll figure it out. It's our job. It's what we get paid to do."

Several key questions need answers before Southern Miss opens the season against Alcorn State on Sept. 5. Who will be the new starting QB with Braylon Braxton gone? How will the new offensive and defensive lines look? Which player will take Chris Jones' place as the leader in the middle of the defense? Can the secondary, led by assistant coach Taveze Calhoun, have another strong year despite the roster turnover?

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagle On SI, as we should start getting answers to those questions in the coming weeks and months.