South Alabama offensive lineman Reed Buys is out for the season due to a knee injury suffered at Southern Miss this past Saturday, head coach Major Applewhite confirmed Monday.

Buys — the Jaguars’ starting right guard — was seen on crutches during the second half of the Jaguars’ 35-14 victory in Hattiesburg, which clinched bowl-eligibility. The Vicksburg, Miss, native is a sixth-year senior and has already used a redshirt, so his college career is over.

Freshman Asher Hale, a former St. Paul’s Episcopal School standout who filled when Buys missed time earlier this season, will start at left guard in Friday’s regular-season finale vs. Texas State. Regular left guard Kenton Jerido will slide to the right side as he did earlier this year when Buys was out.

“We hate it for Reed Buys,” offensive coordinator Rob Ezell said. “He’s one of the leaders on the team and you hate to see that.

“But Asher, he’s played a lot this year already, a local kid who will be chomping at the bit for the last home game of the season — last guaranteed home game. So we’ve got plenty of confidence in him. He knows the playbook and we’re going to call it the same way.”

The 6-foot-4, 301-pound Buys started nine games in 2023 and 10 this year after transferring to South Alabama following two years at Mississippi State and one in junior college. He missed the Oct. 15 Troy game with a minor knee injury, but otherwise the Jaguars have started the same offensive line — Jordan Davis at left tackle, Jerido at left guard, Malachi Preciado at center, Buys at right guard and Malachi Carney at right tackle — in every game this season.

South Alabama (6-5, 4-2 Sun Belt Conference) hosts Texas State (6-5, 4-3) at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with still a chance to win the Sun Belt West Division title if first-place Louisiana loses on Saturday at Louisiana-Monroe. The South Alabama-Texas State game will stream live via ESPN+.