University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Opened Fall Camp Practice Tuesday
8/4/2026 1:39:00 PM | Football
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – First-year Southern Miss coach Blake Anderson and his team took to the field Tuesday morning at the Joe P. Park Practice Facility for its first official practice of fall camp.
Under sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80s, the Golden Eagles worked for just over two hours in shorts and helmets.
Anderson credited the organized team activities (OTAs) during the summer which enabled them to get more done than they might normally have gotten accomplished.
"The ability just to get your hands on them (during the summer) is a little bit is helpful," said Anderson. "We didn't do a ton, but they were good. And you can see today, we were able to get a lot done today and must really kind of build off those OTAs.
"We didn't have to start back with a typical day one of fall camp, really kind of picked up where we left off. I'm hoping that'll help those bank trips, those opportunities to get those extra reps with two different fields going. I like to think that when injuries happen, some other guys can maybe step in and take those reps. So, all that plays into the bigger picture for us down the road."
The Golden Eagles feature over 70 new players on the 2026 roster and Anderson has been happy so far with the response to his initial messages to his team through last spring and going into this fall.
"We talk very clearly about being selfless, tough and accountable," said Anderson. "That's what I want to see in our DNA every day. Low ego, high energy, work capacity, and I'm seeing those things. I need to see it consistently, need to see it coming from them and not necessarily having to be fostered from the coaches as much.
"And you're starting to see that there's some guys that are starting to do that. When it becomes something that is in the fabric of them that they handle, that's when you got something special. We're moving in that direction; we haven't arrived there yet. We've got the buy-in."
One of the players he mentioned to the media following the team's first practice included incoming receiver Jaylen Himes, a sophomore transfer from Wingate College and a Statesville, N.C., native.
"He can play and there's no doubt we need him to have a great year," said Anderson of Himes. "He's a surprise. You bring a young guy from a lower level; you don't know exactly what that transition is going to look like. But for him, I mean, he just picked up and played ball. I know he's not real, real big, but he plays big, plays above the rim, plays with and without the ball.
"He looked great today for day one. He got fatigued at the end (today), but everybody did, they were supposed to. If he can stay healthy, everybody in our league is going to know who he is. And that's a guy that our fan base needs to get to know pretty quick, I'd say."
The Golden Eagles return to the practice fields Wednesday for day two of fall camp, prior to its Sept. 5 season opener against Alcorn State. Game time is set for 4 p.m. Season plans, flex plan options and single game tickets are still available by going online at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
Under sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80s, the Golden Eagles worked for just over two hours in shorts and helmets.
Anderson credited the organized team activities (OTAs) during the summer which enabled them to get more done than they might normally have gotten accomplished.
"The ability just to get your hands on them (during the summer) is a little bit is helpful," said Anderson. "We didn't do a ton, but they were good. And you can see today, we were able to get a lot done today and must really kind of build off those OTAs.
"We didn't have to start back with a typical day one of fall camp, really kind of picked up where we left off. I'm hoping that'll help those bank trips, those opportunities to get those extra reps with two different fields going. I like to think that when injuries happen, some other guys can maybe step in and take those reps. So, all that plays into the bigger picture for us down the road."
The Golden Eagles feature over 70 new players on the 2026 roster and Anderson has been happy so far with the response to his initial messages to his team through last spring and going into this fall.
"We talk very clearly about being selfless, tough and accountable," said Anderson. "That's what I want to see in our DNA every day. Low ego, high energy, work capacity, and I'm seeing those things. I need to see it consistently, need to see it coming from them and not necessarily having to be fostered from the coaches as much.
"And you're starting to see that there's some guys that are starting to do that. When it becomes something that is in the fabric of them that they handle, that's when you got something special. We're moving in that direction; we haven't arrived there yet. We've got the buy-in."
One of the players he mentioned to the media following the team's first practice included incoming receiver Jaylen Himes, a sophomore transfer from Wingate College and a Statesville, N.C., native.
"He can play and there's no doubt we need him to have a great year," said Anderson of Himes. "He's a surprise. You bring a young guy from a lower level; you don't know exactly what that transition is going to look like. But for him, I mean, he just picked up and played ball. I know he's not real, real big, but he plays big, plays above the rim, plays with and without the ball.
"He looked great today for day one. He got fatigued at the end (today), but everybody did, they were supposed to. If he can stay healthy, everybody in our league is going to know who he is. And that's a guy that our fan base needs to get to know pretty quick, I'd say."
The Golden Eagles return to the practice fields Wednesday for day two of fall camp, prior to its Sept. 5 season opener against Alcorn State. Game time is set for 4 p.m. Season plans, flex plan options and single game tickets are still available by going online at SouthernMiss.com/Tickets.
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