South Alabama safety Jaden Voisin had a lot riding on last week’s game at Oklahoma State.

Not only was Voisin playing against the favorite team of his childhood (an Air Force brat, he was born in Midwest City, Okla.), but he’d been through a double-whammy emotionally. His twin brother, Jaguars wide receiver Devin Voisin, and fellow starting safety, Keith Gallmon, both suffered season-ending injuries the previous week vs. Southeastern Louisiana.

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Devin Voisin suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee and will undergo surgery on Thursday. Gallmon tore his right pectoral muscle, an especially cruel blow after he missed the entire 2022 season with a torn left pec.

“That was a tough week,” Jaden Voisin said. “We were expecting big years from both of those guys. With Keith, that’s hard especially coming back from the same kind of injury the year before and working all the way back. I feel terrible for him, but he’s got a good family support system.

“And then Devin, of course, we came here together and we’re trying to leave here together. He was supposed to have a big breakout year, but then he gets that (injury). There’s nothing you can do about it, but just praying for him and knowing he’ll get better.”

Jaden Voisin responded with one of the better games of his career as the Jaguars throttled the Cowboys 33-7 on their home field. He totaled six tackles for a USA defense that shut out Oklahoma State until the 12:14 mark of the fourth quarter, but his two biggest plays didn’t show up on the stat sheet.

Though not officially credited with pass breakups, Voisin twice jarred the ball away from OSU receivers on what would have been long completions. The first was a tone-setter for the entire game — coming on the Cowboys’ opening possession, as Voisin cut underneath De’Zhaun Stribling and knocked him out of bounds before he could get his foot in for a completion.

“That was my dream school growing up,” Voisin said of Oklahoma State. “So you kind of have a chip on your shoulder when that team doesn’t recruit you. It was great to not only get to play them, but to go up there and beat them.”

Voisin later knocked the ball loose from Oklahoma State receiver Talyn Shettron on what initially appeared to be a long completion down the sideline. Officials ruled the pass incomplete, and replay review showed Shettron was juggling the ball before gathering it in as his foot landed out of bounds.

“He did a really nice job Saturday night anticipating some throws,” South Alabama defensive coordinator Corey Batoon said. “A couple of times we were in Cover 2 when he came off the hash, closed the space on the play corner. Both of those plays on their sideline were tremendous finishes on ball that were in pretty good placement by the quarterback and against big receivers. He did a nice job of jarring those balls loose. He had a really special game.”

Like his brother, Voisin has also suffered a major knee injury during his college career. He was ticketed to start at cornerback as a sophomore in 2020, but went down with a torn posterior cruciate ligament and missed most of the season.

Head coach Kane Wommack and his staff took over in 2021, and Voisin did not see any game action that season as he transitioned from cornerback to safety. However, he was a revelation in 2022, earning honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors after totaling 80 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 13 games as the Jaguars’ starting Rover safety.

However, Voisin struggled early in the season as South Alabama’s secondary was torched by Tulane and at times by Southeastern Louisiana. But he turned his season around against Oklahoma State, Wommack said.

“I thought Jaden took a huge step forward, just in terms of being the guy that we all know him to be,” Wommack said. “He was very instinctive; he was in the right position. He made great calls and checks all night. And he really anticipated things and challenged the ball, when it was to his side, got some PBUs, broke on the ball a couple of times, had some really great tackles at the point of attack.

“He did some things in the first two weeks that were uncharacteristic of his execution. I thought he really challenged himself to get that corrected. He certainly took a massive step in the right direction.”

With Gallmon out for the year and fellow safety Jalen Jordan limited by injury the last two weeks, a pair of younger safeties — Baylor transfer Mike Harris and Mississippi State transfer Wesley Miller — have gotten extensive reps of late. Miller had a big fumble recovery in the end zone against Southeastern Louisiana, while Miller earned his first career start at Oklahoma State.

Nickel safety Yam Banks, a first-team All-Sun Belt pick a year ago, is the other veteran leader of a South Alabama secondary that is youthful at cornerback. But Voisin said he’s been impressed with the young talent on the defensive back end for the Jaguars.

“Those guys are coming along,” Voisin said. “They’ve still got a lot to learn, but when you can get younger guys in there and get them experience, that creates depth for you. That’s always good.”

• Senior quarterback Desmond Trotter will wear the honorary No. 5 jersey this week against Central Michigan, Wommack said.

Trotter, the primary backup to starters Jake Bentley in 2021 and Carter Bradley the last two seasons, saw his first action of 2023 late in the last week’s game vs. Oklahoma State. The Jaguars’ starting quarterback for parts of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Wommack said Trotter’s unselfishness stands out above all.

“Dez is probably one of the best teammates that I have ever been around,” Wommack said. “He is a selfless worker, prepares like the starting quarterback and doesn’t get rewarded on game day to be able to trot out there and play. Yet, at the same time, you would not know in his week of preparation that he’s not the starter.

“So it’s impressive. The support that he gives his teammates, the wisdom that he brings to that room for Carter, but also for young guys like Gio Lopez and Bishop Davenport. He’s a pretty steady presence for our offense in general and has certainly earned the respect of everyone in that locker room.”

The No. 5 jersey is given to a different South Alabama player each week in honor of former Jaguars running back Anthony Mostella, who died in a 2010 motorcycle accident. Players who have worn No. 5 so far this year are wide receiver Devin Voisin (Tulane), linebacker James Miller (Southeastern Louisiana) and linebacker Trey Kiser (Oklahoma State).

Kickoff for South Alabama vs. Central Michigan is set for 4 p.m. at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The game will stream live via ESPN+.