South Alabama begins spring football practice on Friday, and there isn’t a ton of roster intrigue for once.

For the first time in recent memory, the Jaguars enter the spring with a secure No. 1 quarterback in Carter Bradley. The Toledo transfer set a host of South Alabama program records in 2022, when he passed for 3,433 yards and 28 touchdowns in his first season as a starter.

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South Alabama returns 18 starters from the team that took the field in the New Orleans Bowl, not including two former starters — safety Keith Gallmon and linebacker Quentin Wilfawn — who missed all or most of last season due to injury. Consequently, there are very few positions up for grabs headed into the spring for Kane Wommack’s team.

Here are 5 position battles to pay attention to as South Alabama begins spring practice:

1. Wide receiver

The Jaguars typically feature three wide receivers on the field at any given time, and Devin Voisin and Caullin Lacy are back to start this year.

Lacy led the team in receptions (65) and was second in yards (816) and touchdown catches (6), while Voisin was second on the team in receptions (64), first in yards (871) and third in touchdowns (5). Three-year starter Jalen Wayne departs for the NFL after catching 58 passes for 815 yards and a school-record nine scores in 2022.

Memphis transfer Javon Ivory will be limited by injury this spring, but is expected to compete for a starting job with junior-college transfer Shemar Sandgren. Ivory — a Grove Hill native — caught 98 passes for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns in his career at Memphis, while Sandgren caught 81 passes for 1,128 yards and 11 touchdowns in two years at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College.

Also expected to compete for reps are holdovers Jay’Juan Townsend, Jeremiah Webb and Jamal Pritchett, among others. Townsend has five career receptions, while Pritchett subbed for the injured Wayne in the second half of the bowl game.

2. Center

Possibly the biggest loss to graduation for the Jaguars was that of center James Jackson, who anchored the offensive line for the last two years after transferring in from Mississippi State.

With Jackson gone, Reggie Smith will slide over from right guard to get first crack at center. The former walk-on is undersized (6-foot-1, 295 pounds) but is regarded as one of the smartest and hardest-working players on the team.

Also competing for reps will be Reed Buys, a Mississippi State transfer who joined the program in January and can also play guard. Redshirt freshman Kenton Jerido is also in the mix.

With Smith at center, James Robinson — a former Tennessee transfer — and sophomore Reid Gavin will compete at right guard. The remainder of the offensive line remains the same from last season — Josh McCulloch at left tackle, Dontae Lucas at left guard and Adrein Strickland at right tackle.

South Carolina transfer Jordan Davis will begin as McCulloch’s backup, with Daniel Foster-Allen (a former Auburn transfer) the second-teamer on the right side.

3. Outside linebacker

This is a tricky spot, as the three players expected to take the majority of reps at the Wolf position — Wilfawn, DK Bonhomme and Dalton Hughes — will be limited in the spring or sit out entirely while recovering from offseason surgery.

Last year’s starter, CJ Rias, is gone, having transferred to McNeese State. Lamondre Brooks and Nate Rawlins-Kibonge — technically defensive ends who can work at outside linebacker — are also out or limited this spring due to injury (R.J. Moss, a highly regarded signee in the 2022 class, remains academically ineligible until the summer).

Thus, the Jaguars will use mostly a pair of walk-ons at Wolf in the spring. Forrmer Auburn transfer Nick Curtis will see time, as will Eli Webb, a Fairhope native who had 10 sacks at Division III Belhaven last season.

Brock Higdon and Jamie Sheriff, South Alabama’s top two returnees at defensive end, will also work some at Wolf in the spring.

4. Cornerback

This is perhaps the most-interesting position battle on the entire team, as the Jaguars are looking to replace two of their top three cornerbacks following the graduation of two-year starter Darrell Luter and former Ole Miss transfer Jamar Richardson.

Marquise “Cuddie” Robinson is back after working as a part-time starter in 2022, when he totaled 28 tackles and two pass breakups. Also returning is Ricky Fletcher, who had five tackles as a true freshman last season.

But the name to watch is Reggie Neely, a transfer from East Mississippi Community College regarded as one of the top junior-college prospects in the country. Neely (6-foot, 170) totaled eight pass breakups and five interceptions at EMCC last season.

Also back are Mobile natives Jason Brooks and Christopher Wallace, as well as Dallas Gamble, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. In addition, the Jaguars have moved former wide receiver Christian Wortham to defense to help provide depth at corner.

La’Dareyen “Hollywood” Craig, a Mobile native who is now at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, will not arrive until the summer.

5. Safety

The issue here is not finding players to fill empty slots, but to find reps for all the capable veterans who are already established.

Yam Banks was a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection at Husky (nickel) safety in 2022, totaling 50 tackles, 11 pass breakups and a school-record six interceptions. He added a sack, five quarterback hurries and also scored a defensive touchdown.

Jaden Voisin was a revelation at free safety, leading the team with 80 tackles and also collecting two interceptions and five pass breakups. Ole Miss transfer Jalen Jordan stepped in for the injured Gallmon at Rover, and totaled 58 tackles.

Gallmon is back healthy this spring after tearing a pectoral muscle last August. A three-year starter, he’ll be in the lineup somewhere.

Wommack noted that it’s possible Banks, Voisin, Jordan and Gallmon could all be in the field at the same time at various points in 2022. Banks and Voisin have experience working at cornerback, so the Jaguars could utilize what is a essentially a four-safety package when game situations call for it.

Also in the mix are former Kentucky transfer Rickey Hyatt and 2022 freshman Tremel States-Jones, though Hyatt will be limited in spring due to injury. Both played extensively in backup roles and on special teams last season.

South Alabama will practice Friday and Saturday morning before settling into a Monday-Wednesday-Friday routine for four weeks leading into the Red-White spring game at Hancock Whitney Stadium on April 15. Practices are closed to the general public.