University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Closes Spring Practice with Showcase Saturday
4/18/2026 2:40:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Future Golden Eagle Kids Clinic opened up Showcase Saturday this morning at Carlisle-Faulkner Field and M.M. Roberts Stadium. The Golden Eagles then went through their final spring practice in front of several fans.Â
With a mic in hand, head football coach Blake Anderson kicked the showcase off with a quick message to the Southern Miss crowd. He continued to engage with the crowd after the team went through individual drills. They then broke into a live scrimmage to work on third-down scenarios. The defense took the first drill before Robert Henderson ripped off a long run to get the offense going.Â
"We still have a long way to go," Anderson said. "That was probably evident today, but you can see how we are progressing, and I am pleased with that. We still need time, though; we've come a long way from January as a team, as in growing as a team as well."
In the third-and-long portion, John White and Jaylen Himes connected on a quick slant — it was White's first throw of the day. White and the offense went two-for-four in that period; then the defense answered with the next group getting four-straight stops. After that drill, Creighton Wilbanks and a fan competed in a punt, pass, and kick contest. To the dismay of Wilbanks, Anderson gave the fan the win as he said, "tie goes to the fan."Â
After the contest, the offense and defense went into one-on-one drills on both ends of the field. The trench players did pass rush and block drills, while the skill groups went through a seven-on-seven drill. Reed Harradine and Dusty Zimmer got in some punt work as the next contest featured three fans attempting to catch punts from the two Golden Eagles. After that, Southern Miss went through the final live period of spring practice, which Anderson noted was the last chance for guys to emerge as leaders.Â
"I think some of the guys have really started to separate themselves with their consistency," Anderson said of identifying team leaders. "You're beginning to see leadership emerge. It's still in the early stages, but it's still coming along. This is a group that has the capacity to work; they're not afraid to get physical, they're not afraid to put in the effort. They're coachable, they accept the challenges, and when you get on them, they respond the right way."
Of note, Mario Sanders caught two touchdown passes in that period. The first came from a deep ball from quarterback Landry Lyddy, and then the second from Illinois transfer Ethan Hampton. In the series immediately after his first touchdown catch, Tulsa transfer Champ Lewis recorded an interception for the defense. That thirty-minute period capped the showcase as Anderson addressed his squad before sending them off to sign autographs for the Golden Eagle fans.Â
New season tickets are available for the 2026 Golden Eagle home schedule that features six home games at The Rock. To purchase tickets, visit SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Follow @SouthernMissFB on social media to get the latest Golden Eagle updates.
With a mic in hand, head football coach Blake Anderson kicked the showcase off with a quick message to the Southern Miss crowd. He continued to engage with the crowd after the team went through individual drills. They then broke into a live scrimmage to work on third-down scenarios. The defense took the first drill before Robert Henderson ripped off a long run to get the offense going.Â
"We still have a long way to go," Anderson said. "That was probably evident today, but you can see how we are progressing, and I am pleased with that. We still need time, though; we've come a long way from January as a team, as in growing as a team as well."
In the third-and-long portion, John White and Jaylen Himes connected on a quick slant — it was White's first throw of the day. White and the offense went two-for-four in that period; then the defense answered with the next group getting four-straight stops. After that drill, Creighton Wilbanks and a fan competed in a punt, pass, and kick contest. To the dismay of Wilbanks, Anderson gave the fan the win as he said, "tie goes to the fan."Â
After the contest, the offense and defense went into one-on-one drills on both ends of the field. The trench players did pass rush and block drills, while the skill groups went through a seven-on-seven drill. Reed Harradine and Dusty Zimmer got in some punt work as the next contest featured three fans attempting to catch punts from the two Golden Eagles. After that, Southern Miss went through the final live period of spring practice, which Anderson noted was the last chance for guys to emerge as leaders.Â
"I think some of the guys have really started to separate themselves with their consistency," Anderson said of identifying team leaders. "You're beginning to see leadership emerge. It's still in the early stages, but it's still coming along. This is a group that has the capacity to work; they're not afraid to get physical, they're not afraid to put in the effort. They're coachable, they accept the challenges, and when you get on them, they respond the right way."
Of note, Mario Sanders caught two touchdown passes in that period. The first came from a deep ball from quarterback Landry Lyddy, and then the second from Illinois transfer Ethan Hampton. In the series immediately after his first touchdown catch, Tulsa transfer Champ Lewis recorded an interception for the defense. That thirty-minute period capped the showcase as Anderson addressed his squad before sending them off to sign autographs for the Golden Eagle fans.Â
New season tickets are available for the 2026 Golden Eagle home schedule that features six home games at The Rock. To purchase tickets, visit SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Follow @SouthernMissFB on social media to get the latest Golden Eagle updates.
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