South Alabama Football: Jaguars look to get ahead of rebuild in 2021

How will the Jaguars fare in 2021?

This 2021 season will be a test for the Jaguars. The new coaching staff is eager to work with the talent of  South Alabama, yet, there isn’t too much hype of the Jaguars outside of the program.

The incoming transfers, including Jake Bentley, will make a tremendous impact as they hope to finish their careers strong. If the team can remain healthy then the Jaguars could see themselves as a surprise team in the Sun Belt.

• Game 1: Southern Miss (L) – The Jaguars surprised the Golden Eagles last season. This was before the Eagles knew they needed to make a serious coaching change.
• Game 2: at Bowling Green (W) – South Alabama gets their first win in the Wommack era against a Bowling Green that has accumulated a 12-41 record since 2016.
• Game 3: Alcorn State (W) – Wommack and the Jags will feel great after a 2-1 start to the season.
• Game 4: Louisiana (L) – The Ragin Cajuns project to repeat as West Division Champions of the Sun Belt in 2021. South is not at that level of competition yet.
• Game 5: at Texas State (W) – The Bobcats are experienced on both sides of the ball, but Texas State are still playing for a coaching staff that accumulated a 5-19 record in the past two seasons.
• Game 6: Georgia Southern (L) – This will be a deciding factor if the Jaguars are ready to compete for the Sun Belt. The Eagles’ defense will be too much in this close game.
• Game 7: at ULM (W) – Of all the teams in the Sun Belt, the Warhawks have the worst team in terms of personnel and talent.
• Game 8: Arkansas State (W) – The Red Wolves are coming off two brutal games before they play Appalachian State. The Jags could shock Arkansas State to make it three games in a row.
• Game 9: at Troy (L) – The Trojans will return 20 total starters in 2021, making them one of the most experienced teams in the conference.
• Game 10: at Appalachian State (L) – Appalachian State will look to have a big revenge season in 2021, which makes them a difficult team to beat.
• Game 11: at Tennessee (L) – The season gets more difficult for the Jaguars as they compete against a recovering but still brutal SEC team in the Volunteers.
• Game 12: Coastal Carolina (L) – The Jaguars will finish their 2021 season with a brutal schedule against the Chanticleers, who look to get a major bowl game.

Prediction: 5-7, 3-5 in Sun Belt play

The Jaguars are not a long way off from competing in the Sun Belt Conference, but they have many steps to go. Just by winning a big game against the Arkansas State Red Wolves or their rivals in the Troy Trojans, the Jaguars would be ahead of schedule towards relevancy. They might also steal their season-opening game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.

The talent they possess is too good for them to rebuild, they are hungry to create a winning culture again in Mobile, Alabama. Wommack proves he is the right guy for the job. If he can convince Applewhite to stay as the offensive coordinator and not leave for bigger jobs, then the Jaguars will be well-coached for several seasons.

This 2021 season be a big season for some of the players like wide receiver Jalen Tolbert, quarterback Jake Bentley, and safety Keith Gallmon. These are players that look to build their NFL Draft stock.

With the talent that the Jaguars have, they should be able to win at least four or five games. This team looks hungrier in the past couple of seasons than with Campbell as coach Wommack. It will be up to Wommack and his staff to create a team that looks to adjust during games.