Southern freshmen proving they’re ready to play

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern has undergone a gradual youth movement on its defense.

The Jaguars could start as many as four true freshmen against Alabama State on Saturday. Some of the moves were out of necessity, some because coaches weren’t satisfied with the performance of more experienced players. All, though, are a reflection of the four first-year players — defensive backs Demerio Houston and Andrea Augustine and linemen Christopher Jones and Jaron Johnson — proving themselves during preseason camp and the first four games.

“They’re playing well,” coach Dawson Odums said. “I’ve got to take my hat off to our recruiting. We’re recruiting guys that are ready to play. You don’t want to make a living playing freshmen every year, but that’s the hand we were dealt.

“So we’ve got to get the best out of them and maximize what they can do. But I’m happy about those guys that are playing. They’re really paying dividends. I think that their early success is going to allow us to continue to improve down the stretch because now we’re starting to get some upperclassmen back.”

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