Honestly, looking at the Southern Miss football depth chart right now feels a bit like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube while someone keeps changing the stickers. If you’ve been following the Golden Eagles, you know the vibe in Hattiesburg has shifted dramatically. The 2025 season ended with a trip to the New Orleans Bowl—a 7-6 finish that felt like a lifeline—but as we crawl into 2026, the roster is a total construction zone.
Blake Anderson is in the big chair now. After Will Hall was let go following a rough 2024, the program leaned on Reed Stringer as the interim before eventually landing Anderson to steer the ship. And Anderson isn't wasting time. He’s basically taking a sledgehammer to the old ways and rebuilding from the trenches up.
Most people look at a depth chart and see names. I see a puzzle. You’ve got a massive influx of transfer portal talent, a brand-new coaching staff including Kyle Cefalo as the offensive coordinator, and a defensive unit that lost almost every single starter. It’s wild.
The Quarterback Room: Who Actually Holds the Keys?
Everyone wants to talk about the signal-caller. It’s the sexy position. But at Southern Miss, the QB battle for 2026 is less about "star power" and more about who can survive the Sun Belt’s physical grind.
Ethan Hampton is the name you’ll see at the top of the list. The graduate transfer from Northern Illinois brings that "grown man" energy the room desperately needed. He’s 6’3", 230 pounds, and doesn’t get rattled easily. Behind him, it’s a mix of potential and "wait and see."
- Ethan Hampton (Gr.): The presumed starter. He’s played in big games and knows how to manage a huddle.
- Hugh Price (Fr.): The freshman from Nashville. He’s 6’5" and looks the part, but is he ready for a Saturday in Mobile or Boone? Probably not yet.
- Kyle McCormick (R-Jr.): The steady hand. He’s the guy who knows the playbook inside and out, the "coach on the field" type.
The loss of Jacobe Robinson to the portal hurt the depth a bit, but honestly, Anderson seems to prefer Hampton’s experience for this transition year. If Hampton stays healthy, the offense has a chance to be sneaky good. If not? We’re looking at a very steep learning curve for the youngsters.
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Rebuilding the "Nasty Bunch" Defense
Let’s be real: the defense got gutted. Out of the eleven guys who started the regular-season finale against Troy last year, only one is coming back for 2026. One! That’s almost unheard of in modern college football unless you're a powerhouse like Georgia or Bama reloading.
Chris Jones, the linebacker who led the Sun Belt with 133 tackles, is gone. That’s a massive hole in the heart of the defense. To fix it, Joe Bolden (the new Defensive Coordinator) is leaning heavily on some Power Five castoffs and portal finds.
The Defensive Front
Jameer Lewis is the one returning piece that makes you feel okay about things. He led the team in sacks and TFLs last year. He’s the anchor. Around him, you’ve got guys like J’Mond Tapp (the Arizona State/Texas transfer) and Zachariah Keith (West Virginia).
It’s a bit of a "misfit toys" situation, but Tapp has the pedigree. If he can finally live up to that four-star rating he had coming out of high school, the Southern Miss defensive line might actually be the strongest part of the team.
The Secondary
Josh Moten is the veteran here. He’s a redshirt senior who has seen it all. But keep an eye on Jyaire Brown, a New Orleans native who transferred back home. The secondary is going to be tested early and often. Blake Anderson brought in Mike Bethea to coach the "nickel" position specifically because the Sun Belt is becoming such a pass-heavy league.
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The Offensive Line: The 2,000-Snap Problem
You can’t talk about the Southern Miss football depth chart without mentioning the O-line. It’s been the Achilles' heel for years. Last season, Hayes Creel was the iron man, starting 33 consecutive games. He’s gone. Carlos Slayden is gone.
The new guys are huge. Like, "don't-fit-through-a-standard-doorway" huge.
- Grant Kitchens (Fr.): 6’8", 320 lbs. He’s a mountain from Louisville, Mississippi.
- Christian Young (R-Sr.): 6’7", 350 lbs.
- Toby Mealer (R-Fr.): 6’5", 325 lbs.
Anderson and Sean Coughlin (OL Coach) are clearly going for size. They want to bully people. The problem? Size doesn't always equal speed, and in the Sun Belt, you have to be able to move. It’s going to be a "work in progress" for the first four weeks of the season.
Why the Specialists Actually Matter Here
Most fans skip the kicker and punter section. Big mistake. Southern Miss won a few games last year simply because they didn't screw up on special teams. Joe Bolden oversaw a unit that didn't allow a single blocked kick or punt all season in 2025.
With a brand-new offense and a rebuilt defense, field position is going to be the Golden Eagles' best friend. If the offense stalls—which it will—having a punter who can pin a team inside the 10-yard line is worth more than a star wideout.
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What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about the current southern miss football depth chart is that it’s "weak" because of the departures. It’s not necessarily weak; it’s just unproven.
We saw this at Arkansas State when Anderson was there. He likes to bring in guys who have a chip on their shoulder. Guys who were told they weren't good enough for the SEC or the Big 12. When you get 22 of those guys in a locker room, they play with a different kind of violence.
Also, don't sleep on the local recruiting. Barney Farrar is still the Director of Mississippi Recruitment, and he’s keeping the best talent in the 601 and 228 areas from wandering too far. Keeping kids like Jeffery Rush (Pascagoula) and Darrell Gross (Madison) home is how this program eventually gets back to that 10-win standard.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're trying to track this team through the spring and into the fall, keep these three things in mind:
- Watch the "Nickel" Position: Mike Bethea was the final hire for a reason. How the Eagles play that hybrid safety/linebacker spot will tell you everything about how they plan to stop the high-flying offenses of James Madison and Louisiana.
- The First 15 Snaps: Pay attention to the scripted plays from Kyle Cefalo. If Ethan Hampton looks comfortable early, the "QB battle" is over before it starts. If they look out of sync, expect a rotating door at quarterback by October.
- Portal Deadlines: The January window just closed, but the roster isn't set in stone. Expect another minor shakeup after spring ball.
The 2026 Southern Miss football depth chart is a gamble. It's a mix of "last chance" seniors and "first chance" freshmen. It’s probably going to be a bumpy ride, but for the first time in a few years, it feels like there’s an actual plan in place in Hattiesburg. Whether that plan survives a Saturday night in the Sun Belt is another story entirely.