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Photo by: Todd Bennet, Getty Images
Position Preview: The Secondary
8/26/2015 1:48:00 PM | Football
Slew of experience has Coach Curtis excited
The Georgia Southern football team set the bar extremely high in its first season of FBS play. By winning the Sun Belt Conference title, the Eagles duplicated what just two other teams in the history of college football had accomplished, and became the only team to do it with an undefeated league record. With 13 starters back, five on the offensive side of the ball and eight on defense, Georgia Southern will try to meet and surpass that standard in 2015 by reaching the first bowl game in school history.
With the season opener at West Virginia getting closer each day, GSEagles.com will break down each position group now that camp is over and the regular season is rapidly approaching. Today, we take a brief look at the defensive secondary, led by position coach and defensive coordinator Jack Curtis.
COACH CURTIS ON THE SECONDARY:
"We had some experience coming back at the safety position in the two high safety spots. That's a strong point with some experience. We had a question mark at nickel and we've had to move Darius Jones from corner to nickel. We lost a couple of corners, but we have a couple of guys who played last year, some junior college guys that have really stepped up. We've got Darrius White who's eligible for the first year here playing for me who's had an extremely good camp. Then we have a transfer in Riyahd Jones coming in who's provided a lot of depth there. And I think we've recruited really well in terms of freshmen at the cornerback position. I think overall, we're ahead of where we've been in the past in the secondary."
BRIEFLY:
• Georgia Southern returns both starting safeties in Matt Dobson and Antonio Glover, who have played a ton of football in their careers.
• Dobson, who has started a team-high 23 straight games, helped the Eagles preserve the win and Sun Belt title with a pass break up inside the 1-yard line the final seconds against ULM. He also had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, one of two pick-6s on the year. He finished with 62 tackles, three interceptions and three pass breakups to earn second-team All-Sun Belt honors. Glover made 61 tackles (42 solo), with five tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
• Seniors Steve Williams and Tay Hicklin along with junior Robert Brice II gives the Eagles plenty of options for their nickel package.
• Georgia Southern will look to junior Darius Jones, Jr., to fill the nickel spot and senior Darrius White to fill the right corner position. Senior Caleb Williams and juniors Cliff Saggus and Rayquan Sam will push for playing time, and the coaching staff recruited the position heavily so four true freshman will get a chance to prove themselves in preseason camp.
• Transfer Riyahd Jones was ruled eligible this past week after enrolling in graduate school classes at Southern.
• "That's probably the area in which we had the most success in recruiting, at least on paper," said head coach Fritz. "We got longer, taller, faster back there, and I think those guys will push for playing time this season."
Monday, Aug. 24 - LINEBACKERS
Tuesday, Aug. 25 - QUARTERBACKS
TODAY - SECONDARY
Thursday, Aug. 27 - TIGHT ENDS/H-BACKS
Friday, Aug. 28 - DEFENSIVE LINE
Saturday, Aug. 29 - RUNNING BACKS
Sunday, Aug. 30 - SPECIALISTS
Monday, Aug. 31 - OFFENSIVE LINE
Tuesday, Sept. 1 - WIDE RECEIVERS
With the season opener at West Virginia getting closer each day, GSEagles.com will break down each position group now that camp is over and the regular season is rapidly approaching. Today, we take a brief look at the defensive secondary, led by position coach and defensive coordinator Jack Curtis.
COACH CURTIS ON THE SECONDARY:
"We had some experience coming back at the safety position in the two high safety spots. That's a strong point with some experience. We had a question mark at nickel and we've had to move Darius Jones from corner to nickel. We lost a couple of corners, but we have a couple of guys who played last year, some junior college guys that have really stepped up. We've got Darrius White who's eligible for the first year here playing for me who's had an extremely good camp. Then we have a transfer in Riyahd Jones coming in who's provided a lot of depth there. And I think we've recruited really well in terms of freshmen at the cornerback position. I think overall, we're ahead of where we've been in the past in the secondary."
BRIEFLY:
• Georgia Southern returns both starting safeties in Matt Dobson and Antonio Glover, who have played a ton of football in their careers.
• Dobson, who has started a team-high 23 straight games, helped the Eagles preserve the win and Sun Belt title with a pass break up inside the 1-yard line the final seconds against ULM. He also had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, one of two pick-6s on the year. He finished with 62 tackles, three interceptions and three pass breakups to earn second-team All-Sun Belt honors. Glover made 61 tackles (42 solo), with five tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
• Seniors Steve Williams and Tay Hicklin along with junior Robert Brice II gives the Eagles plenty of options for their nickel package.
• Georgia Southern will look to junior Darius Jones, Jr., to fill the nickel spot and senior Darrius White to fill the right corner position. Senior Caleb Williams and juniors Cliff Saggus and Rayquan Sam will push for playing time, and the coaching staff recruited the position heavily so four true freshman will get a chance to prove themselves in preseason camp.
• Transfer Riyahd Jones was ruled eligible this past week after enrolling in graduate school classes at Southern.
• "That's probably the area in which we had the most success in recruiting, at least on paper," said head coach Fritz. "We got longer, taller, faster back there, and I think those guys will push for playing time this season."
Monday, Aug. 24 - LINEBACKERS
Tuesday, Aug. 25 - QUARTERBACKS
TODAY - SECONDARY
Thursday, Aug. 27 - TIGHT ENDS/H-BACKS
Friday, Aug. 28 - DEFENSIVE LINE
Saturday, Aug. 29 - RUNNING BACKS
Sunday, Aug. 30 - SPECIALISTS
Monday, Aug. 31 - OFFENSIVE LINE
Tuesday, Sept. 1 - WIDE RECEIVERS
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