South Alabama begins preseason football practice on Wednesday, in preparation for its first season under coach Major Applewhite.

The Jaguars return eight starters for 2024, five on offense and three on defense. Last year’s team went 7-6 and won the 68 Ventures Bowl under since-departed head coach Kane Wommack.

As preseason camp begins, here’s a position-by-position breakdown of where things stand with South Alabama’s offense:

Quarterback

Gio Lopez started one game and played extensively in two last year, even earning Most Valuable Player honors in the bowl game (though Desmond Trotter technically started at quarterback in the 59-10 win over Eastern Michigan). Trotter and Carter Bradley, the Jaguars’ starter the last two years and their all-time leading passer, were seniors last year, and Lopez will get first opportunity to take over under center. The redshirt freshman has a strong left arm and is a powerful and elusive runner, giving South Alabama a dual-threat dimension it has not had at the position since Ross Metheny left town more than a decade ago. Former Utah State transfer Bishop Davenport and true freshman Jared Hollins (a Mobile high school legend) are also on-board, but this appears to be Lopez’s job to lose.

Running back

La’Damian Webb is gone after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but the Jaguars will look to fill the void with depth. Braylon McReynolds has shown explosiveness as a runner and receiver the last two years, though he got hurt in the 2023 opener and did not return until November. Kentrel Bullock also had some big moments as the No. 2 back a year ago, and he and McReynolds might be able to approximate Webb’s production in tandem. PJ Martin and Jarvis Durr, both freshmen last year, are also here, as are true freshman Fluff Bothwell and Tulane transfer Iverson Celestine. The burly Bothwell (5-foot-10, 219 pounds) was an incredibly productive player at Oneonta High School, and could push for early playing time.

Wide receiver

Though Caullin Lacy left for Louisville via the transfer portal after catching a school-record 91 passes in 2023, the Jaguars have plenty of veteran depth at the receiver position. That’s particularly true if senior Devin Voisin comes all the way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 2 last year after leading the team in receptions (65) and yards (867) in 2022. Former walk-on Jamaal Pritchett was a revelation in 2023, totaling 57 receptions for 883 yards and a team-best eight touchdowns. Also back are fellow seniors Javon Ivory, Jeremiah Webb and Shamar Sandgren, plus redshirt freshman Anthony Eager. South Alabama also added transfers Micah Woods (Buffalo) and Noah Toster (Chowan), as well as freshmen Jeremy Scott and Jerrian Graham, but they’ll more than likely have to wait their turn with five seniors around.

Tight end

South Alabama lost three of its top four at the position to graduation, so adding depth here was a priority given that the Jaguars like to play two and even three tight ends with regularity. DJ Thomas-Jones became a red zone receiving threat late in the year in 2023, and finished with five touchdown catches. Beyond him, however, walk-on senior Todd Justice is the only experienced returnee. South Alabama added transfers Andrew Bench (Bowling Green) before spring practice and Rod Gibbs (Texas Southern) afterward, and Bench in particular should have a major role in 2023. Redshirt freshman Trent Thomas and true freshman Will Loerzel are the future at the position along with Gibbs, a sophomore.

Offensive line

The left side of the line is in solid shape with returning starters Jordan Davis at tackle and Reed Buys (the only senior among 15 scholarship linemen for the Jaguars) at guard. Purdue transfer Malachi Preciado appeared to take hold of the center position in the spring. The other two starters transferred away, leaving a number of young players in contention for jobs on the right side. The versatile Malachi Carney will probably get first crack at right tackle, with converted center Kenton Jerido a possibility at right guard after starting there in the bowl game. Former Mississippi transfer Lucas Taylor (who missed all of 2023 for health reasons) is also a potential fit at right guard. Two redshirt freshmen who transferred in over the summer — guard Ethan Hubbard (Duke) and tackle Jayden Hobson (Mississippi State) — could also get a look at some point. Veterans Reid Gavin and Daniel Foster-Allen and youngsters John Ward, Adrian Griffin and Hayden Dozier (a junior-college transfer who joined the program over the summer) will look to crack the two-deep. South Alabama also signed freshmen Asher Hale and Logan Joellenbeck, though both are almost certainly ticketed for redshirt seasons.

COMING WEDNESDAY: Defense & special teams