It’s not uncommon in this day and age of college football for teams to have roster overhauls. Losing players to the transfer portal or the draft is very common, and often, coaches will find themselves with a good portion of new faces every season.
But 73 new players is unprecedented, and that’s what Southern Mississippi first-year head football coach Blake Anderson has to work with.
After former head coach Charles Huff’s sudden departure from USM to take the Memphis job, Anderson was given the tall task of rebuilding a team that lost just about everybody.
“Our biggest challenge is that we don’t have any returning production, like we have no returning starters,” Anderson said on SportsTalk Mississippi. “We’re dealing with big numbers and the fact that every position is starting over.”
Here’s what else Anderson said about building a culture with so many new faces, finding the right starting quarterback, and the future for him and USM football.
Building culture
Anderson, the team’s former offensive coordinator, will have to find a way to build a culture with virtually no veterans to step up for the Golden Eagles.
“The guys have really come from everywhere. We’ve had a lot of meals together, really sitting and eating and breaking bread together,” Anderson said. “A lot of conversations outside of football, trying to build relationships and get to know each other. I think that maybe is the biggest key for anybody, anywhere, is who can come together as a unit or a family.
“Culture over four or five years is different than culture over four or five months, which is really what we’re dealing with. It is a huge challenge. I don’t think there’s a magic formula for it. There’s just no quick fix. Time is the biggest thing, and you gotta do it one day and one opportunity at a time as best you can. Hopefully we’re doing that through meals, conversations, and time together.”
Southern Miss had to add over 70 new players this offseason. How has Blake Anderson managed that? pic.twitter.com/RTNNTTZsrn
— SportsTalk Mississippi (@SportsTalkMiss) August 5, 2026
Quarterback battle
Another question mark on this Southern Miss team is who will start at quarterback this season. Anderson has been impressed so far with all three options, stating that they all have “virtually the same stats,” making it harder to pick between them. But, as Anderson put it, it’s better to have too many options than none.
“Competition makes you better as long as it’s not distracting,” Anderson said. “They all have similar skill sets. We don’t have a runner versus a thrower. They all process well, they can move the chains with their feet, they all have a very good grasp of the system, and they’re leaders. We’re going to let this thing go until we know we’ve got the right guy, as long as it does not distract from what we’re trying to do.”
Two of the options for quarterback, Landry Lyddy and John White, were a part of the USM team last year but did not see meaningful playing time. Lyddy has the most experience of the two, throwing for 406 yards and two touchdowns in his short time in 2025, and he knows Anderson’s system well.
White was a high school star in Mississippi, but has been with USM for two years and hasn’t had the chance to start. He showed he has the ability, throwing for 15,000 yards and 170 touchdowns at Winona Christian School and Madison-Ridgeland Academy, but the question remains: Can he find that same stride at the college level?
The third option for the starting job is Ethan Hampton. Hampton started his career at Northern Illinois, where he led the charge for a big upset against No. 5 Notre Dame in 2024 before transferring to Illinois the next year. Now at USM, Hampton has the most veteran starting time of the three and could prove to be a major asset to the Golden Eagles.
One of the biggest struggles in picking a starter for Anderson is his uncertainty about which players to get input from, due to the sheer number of new players at the school.
“When you got 73 new dudes, who do you go to? So, I think watching the way they interact and respond to [the quarterbacks] is just as big of an indicator as asking questions,” Anderson said. “Being able to watch the interactions, the consistency of leadership, and just natural response – like when a guy talks, do guys perk up or do they keep walking away?
“I think little things are gonna separate these guys one from the other. They’re all capable, but I think it’s more of an observation and a feel as much as anything. It may be as simple as who can find a way to get guys in the end zone.”
Season ahead
Looking ahead at the fast-approaching season, Anderson expects his team to be successful if the last few pieces fall into place.
“If we can get the relationship, the culture piece right and be in great shape on Saturday, there’s no reason why we can’t go out and surprise some people and win some games,” he said.
Despite the challenges ahead for USM with the roster questions, building a culture, and picking who will be the Golden Eagles quarterback in 2026, Anderson says he feels right at home in Hattiesburg.
“I feel like this is a good time for me to be here. This is a very difficult job. The landscape has made it hard,” Anderson said. “It has made it different than it was when I was here 15 years ago, but I feel like this is a really good spot for us to continue to work. Good people, good community, great vibes and tradition, and guys who have been through a lot in a short period of time, so [taking the job] was a no-brainer for me.”
The team under Anderson will kick off its season against Alcorn State on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 4:00 p.m.
