The 2026 season for Southern Miss opens on September 5, but the program steps onto the field with a pressing question: who will lead the rushing attack?
A Battle in the Backfield
Last year the team recorded 1,763 rushing yards, placing tenth in the Sun Belt, yet only one of the top five contributors from that group returns, leaving the backfield unsettled.
Coach Blake Anderson has said the quarterback position will resolve itself during preseason, but the running back spot demands immediate attention.
Anderson, who has used both a single‑feature back and a rotating committee in past stops, says he prefers to keep multiple options on the table rather than commit to a single player.
The four candidates include Robert Briggs, who managed 304 yards in 2025, and three transfers: Steven Robinson, who posted 598 yards at Coffeyville Community College; Jamarice Wilder, a top‑100 recruit with limited high‑school playing time; and Jaylen Foster, who contributed 542 yards at Itawamba Community College.
During spring practice each of the four saw extensive snaps, and Anderson indicated the staff could employ a single lead back or spread the workload across several players depending on game flow.
The coach also reflected on last season’s run game, describing it as “one‑dimensional” and noting a lack of physicality and power, goals he hopes the new personnel will address.