In his first three years as head coach in Hattiesburg, Will Hall has consistently secured a top-three recruiting class in the Sun Belt, with the 2024 class being recognized as the best in the conference. However, the urgency to achieve immediate success at Southern Miss is apparent, as reflected by the 17 new transfers joining the team.
Here are the players expected to make a significant impact in the 2024 season:
Tate Rodemaker | Quarterback | Florida State
The initial three years of the Will Hall era have left Southern Miss fans feeling frustrated, especially regarding the quarterback position. A series of injuries and missed opportunities in the transfer portal forced the Golden Eagles to make do with limited options. However, with Rodemaker joining the team, along with the return of promising sophomore Ethan Crawford and the addition of John White, who holds the Mississippi high school passing yards record, the quarterback room is stronger than it has been in years.
Although Rodemaker didn’t serve as a consistent starter under Mike Norvell at Florida State, he has played in 23 games, including nine in 2023 during a standout season for the Seminoles. The redshirt junior brings valuable experience to the offense and showcased a strong arm with solid accuracy. The competition between Ethan Crawford and Rodemaker promises to be exciting.
Dontae Lucas | Offensive Lineman | South Alabama
After receiving second-team freshman All-America recognition at Florida State in 2019, Lucas continued his career as a multi-year starter under Kane Wommack at South Alabama. In 2023, he started 11 games for the Jaguars and is anticipated to play a key role in the offensive line alongside Sam Gregg and Will Hall.
Lucas was identified as one of the top 25 offensive line transfers in the nation and has been praised by Hall as one of the premier Group of Five linemen in the country. With the absence of Frank Gore, Jr., at running back and many veterans from last year’s roster gone, Lucas will need to deliver on his reputation for the Southern Miss offense to remain competitive.
Will James | Defensive Back | Mississippi State
James initially committed to Will Hall and the Golden Eagles before switching to Mississippi State right before signing day in 2022. The Alabama native was part of Zach Arnett’s only recruiting class as head coach in Starkville, and he entered the transfer portal shortly after Arnett was let go.
Southern Miss faced significant challenges in pass defense during 2023, especially in the latter part of the season when multiple defensive backs were sidelined due to injuries. With many of those injured players returning, James will vie for a starting position after appearing in just one game for Mississippi State last year.
Braxton Myers | Cornerback | Purdue
As a redshirt freshman, Myers is another defensive back transfer bringing much-needed youthful depth to Clay Bignell’s defense. Hailing from Coppell, Texas, he was ranked as the No. 27 cornerback in the nation when he signed with Ole Miss. He later followed former Rebel defensive backs coach Sam Carter to Purdue before moving to Hattiesburg in the spring.
With the absence of Zay Franks, who was expected to start at cornerback but will miss the 2024 season due to a neck injury, Myers will have plenty of chances to compete for significant playing time in his first year in Hattiesburg.
Desmyn Baker | Linebacker | Western Kentucky
With the departure of experienced players Swayze Bozeman, Hayes Maples, and TQ Newsome from the linebacker unit, Hall and his staff have brought in two seasoned linebackers, Baker and Tre Pinckney. Baker started 11 games for the Hilltoppers in 2023 and played in 10 games at Rice in 2021, having previously excelled at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
After recording 46 tackles in 2023, Baker will be expected to take on a significant role for the Southern Miss defense, which has lost seven starters from the previous season.
Tre Pinckney | Linebacker | Coastal Carolina
Similar to Baker, Pinckney adds valuable college football experience to a relatively inexperienced Golden Eagle linebacker squad. The Mableton, Ga. native participated in 19 games over the past two seasons at Coastal Carolina before joining Will Hall’s 2024 signing class as a late but significant addition. He was also named a JUCO All-American in 2021.
Reports from Southern Miss’ fall camp suggest that both Pinckney and Baker will be key contributors in the heart 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.
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