Linebacker Chris Jones looks to increase his leadership role this season
Chris Jones is one of the last remaining Golden Eagles from the 2024 season who’s returning back to Hattiesburg for his sophomore year with the Golden Eagles. As a true freshman starter, Jones finished his first season recording 46 total tackles, 25 solo tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles and an interception in 2024. Jones had the option to enter the transfer portal, but chose to remain at Southern Miss thanks to both head coach Charles Huff and new defensive coordinator Jason Semore.
“First Coach Huff. Coach Huff is a great coach, when I talked to him, I knew from there that I was going to stay, and second Jason Semore. The defensive coordinator we have, just learning the schematic parts of football and knowing what’s going on. He’s really put me on that pedestal, that level I think that I can go really far with, just teaching me things that’s going on in the NFL. Plus, I just love Southern Miss, that’s just home for me.
”Working with Semore has been a welcome change for Jones throughout the fall and spring.“
It’s been a big difference, as far as knowing what’s going on, knowing what defense we’re in. I’ve learned a lot of football from Coach Semore, he sits down and talks to me everyday and just taught me one on one ball and the schematic parts of football. I think that it translates to our defense as a whole when your linebackers really know what’s going on such as what fronts we’re in or what’s going on in the back end.”
As the fall camp comes right around the corner for the Golden Eagles, something that Jones will view as a successful season for himself and Southern Miss is his own self improvement as a leader on the field.“I just want to be a great teammate and leader on my team. We preach championship everyday.
I know going from 1-11 to a championship team is hard, but I feel like we can do that. Coach Huff has brought those guys from Marshall, where they just won a championship and their culture is just streaming through our locker room. I feel like everyday more and more we’re getting closer to building a championship team.”
By: Devin Witson
