SUN BELT FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 11 OF 14
2026 Season Snapshot • Mobile, Alabama
4-8 (Sun Belt)
SBC
Live schedule, lines and results for South Alabama.
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HEAD COACH
Major Applewhite — 3rd season at South Alabama
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
26–25 (FBS, multiple programs)
A former Texas Big 12 Freshman/Offensive Player of the Year, Applewhite was promoted from South Alabama's offensive coordinator to head coach in Jan. 2024 after Kane Wommack left for in-state rival Troy. Won a bowl game in his debut season (2024) before a rougher 4-8 2025 — a real step back he's looking to reverse with a nearly all-new coaching staff.
SOUTH ALABAMA ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 4-8, a real regression from the 7-6, Salute to Veterans Bowl- winning debut season. South Alabama's offense and defense both took steps back, prompting Applewhite to rebuild almost his entire coaching staff for 2026.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$857K
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per USA Today's 2025 compensation database (via HERO Sports; 5-yr deal signed Jan. 2024, $825K base with built-in staff pool increases). South Alabama has not disclosed a team NIL figure.
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Multiple • Staff rebuilt
Applewhite, himself an accomplished offensive mind, oversees a retooled staff around returning starter Jared Hollins, who closed his true freshman season with real dual-threat production. Even with 2025 First-Team All-Sun Belt RB Kentrel Bullock (South Alabama's third-leading rusher ever) gone to the NFL, returning RBs Keenan Phillips and PJ Martin give the offense real complementary pieces.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Todd Orlando • 1st season • Multiple
New hire tasked with fixing a defense that regressed in 2025, joined by new position coaches across the entire defensive staff (DL, safeties) — a real full- unit reset after the down season.
2025 RECORD
4–8 (Sun Belt)
A real step back from the 2024 bowl-winning debut season under Applewhite, prompting a near-total coaching staff rebuild across both sides of the ball for 2026.
HOME FIELD
Hancock Whitney Stadium
Artificial turf (FieldTurf), Mobile. A program looking to bounce back to bowl eligibility in 2026 after a disappointing sophomore season under Applewhite, with real coaching-staff turnover as the response.
| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Jared Hollins | Soph | ★★★★★ | Took over as a true freshman and started the final games of 2025, finishing with 2,072 pass yds, 12 TD, 6 INT and 326 rush yds, 9 rush TD across 12 starts — real, proven dual-threat production heading into year two. |
| RB1 | Keenan Phillips | Jr | ★★★★★ | Logged 607 yds, 3 TD on 126 carries in 2025; the presumptive lead back after Kentrel Bullock (South Alabama's third-leading rusher ever, First-Team All-Sun Belt) went undrafted and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. |
| RB2 | PJ Martin | Jr | ★★★★★ | South Alabama's third-leading rusher in 2025 (326 yds, 60 carries); gives Phillips a proven complement as the Jaguars' backfield turns over at the top. |
Took over as a true freshman and started the final games of 2025, finishing with 2,072 pass yds, 12 TD, 6 INT and 326 rush yds, 9 rush TD across 12 starts — real, proven dual-threat production heading into year two.
Logged 607 yds, 3 TD on 126 carries in 2025; the presumptive lead back after Kentrel Bullock (South Alabama's third-leading rusher ever, First-Team All-Sun Belt) went undrafted and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals.
South Alabama's third-leading rusher in 2025 (326 yds, 60 carries); gives Phillips a proven complement as the Jaguars' backfield turns over at the top.
| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line under new OL coach | OL | — | ★★★★★ | New position coach Bryant Ross tasked with fixing a unit that struggled through the 2025 regression; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1. |
New position coach Bryant Ross tasked with fixing a unit that struggled through the 2025 regression; specific 2026 starters to be confirmed closer to Week 1.
| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Front seven under new DC | DL | New DC Todd Orlando and new position coach Chris Achuff install a full system reset after 2025's defensive regression. |
New DC Todd Orlando and new position coach Chris Achuff install a full system reset after 2025's defensive regression.
| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary under new staff | DB | ★★★★★ | New safeties coach Tyson Kee joins retained co-DC Jason Washington in a defensive back room being rebuilt under the new coordinator structure. |
New safeties coach Tyson Kee joins retained co-DC Jason Washington in a defensive back room being rebuilt under the new coordinator structure.
2025 ATS
5-7
41.7% cover rate — 56th of 82
2025 Straight up
4-8
Point differential -47
Scoring environment
56.9
Combined points per game — 18th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
2-4 · 3-3
Totals 8-4 O/U (5-1 home, 3-3 road)
Points scored / allowed
26.5 per game scored (50th) · 30.4 allowed (68th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory -3.9 (64th) · Strength of schedule -12.6
SRS power rating
-16.5
80th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
-8.5
72nd of 82
Defensive SRS
-12
78th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
-3.9 · 64th of 82
Against the spread
5-7 (41.7%) · 56th of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
56.9 · 18th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Saved Just J research for South Alabama.
New DC (Todd Orlando), new DL coach, new safeties coach, new WR coach, new OL coach, new special teams coordinator — Applewhite kept only a handful of his original staff after the 4-8 season.
Both PJ Martin and a rising sophomore tailback are working back from injuries that limited them in 2025 — real health question marks heading into fall camp.
2,072 yds, 12 TD passing plus 326 rush yds, 9 rush TD across 12 starts as a true freshman — genuine, real experience at the most important position heading into year two.
A new position coach on a line that regressed in 2025 is real, specific variance — treat South Alabama's O-line as unproven until it shows up on tape.
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