There was a slightly different air around Southern football on the field.
It wasn’t just the cooler and sunless 87-degree temperature for Monday's 8 p.m. practice. Players looked and moved differently on the grass, wearing full pads for the first time in preseason camp.
While senior defensive end Ckelby Givens acknowledged the Jaguars had been in partial pads twice since camp started July 22, he and his team were excited for the full experience.
The start of a new week meant the next step in the process of preparing the Jaguars for their season opener against North Carolina Central in Atlanta at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23.
Coach Terrence Graves used the first week to study the energy that players practiced with and the attention to detail of returners and newcomers alike. The team passed that test in his eyes and is moving to the next part of the plan.
“Now I want to see how (much) better we can get,” Graves said, “how fast we can play, how much more can we improve on our installation of all three phases of the game and really hone in on getting ready for game one.”
The expected players are standing out early on. Givens, the reigning SWAC co-Defensive Player of the Year, is among that group. After a season with 12 sacks and 73 tackles in 13 games, he was focused on getting even stronger in the offseason. He said he added 15 pounds after playing the majority of last season at 225.
Tight end Dupree Fuller is another returner who has opened eyes. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound graduate student made the preseason All-SWAC second-team offense after having 30 receptions for 370 yards and two touchdowns.
Graves said Fuller has improved speed, strength and leadership abilities. When asked whether a larger role is imminent for Fuller, Graves said, “No question about it.”
That confidence is linked to Fuller’s improvement and his familiarity with second-year offensive coordinator Mark Frederick’s system.
“Guy’s a matchup problem,” Graves said of Fuller. “He'll find ways, and coach Frederick is doing some things to help him, to free him up and make sure that he gets his bite at the apple.”
Fuller said he spoke with Frederick about him taking on more responsibilities, which may include time spent in the backfield and running out as a receiver.
“Me and coach (Frederick) have had talks about me getting a bigger role in the offense,” Fuller said. “So I really got to show my skills in camp and show him what I can really do.”
Frederick said he's expecting success from Fuller as a blocker and receiver.
"We're going to try to get some mismatches with him on linebackers, and try to get him the ball," Frederick said.
As Fuller and others prepare for the season, Southern bid farewell to graduate transfer quarterback Jamari Jones. The East Mississippi Community College transfer left the team for personal reasons, Graves said.
“He had some personal things going on at home,” Graves said. “We wish him well. You know it’s tough when you’re trying to manage, maintain family situations sometimes.”
The Jaguars have three quarterbacks left on the roster: returning redshirt sophomore and likely starter Jalen Woods, junior Jackson State transfer Cam'Ron McCoy and freshman Dillon Compton from Bunkie.
