BATON ROUGE - The Southern football team's defense hasn’t been the issue the past couple of seasons, but there is a position group with some questions heading into the 2024 season.

The Jaguars have to replace four of their top five producers in the defensive secondary. While normally this would be a cause for concern, defensive coordinator Henry Miller is excited about the defensive backfield.

“What’s crazy is I lost everybody in the secondary, and I’m very talented back there, and we’re still waiting on guys coming,” Miller said.

Cornerback Rodney Johnson and safety Horacio Johnson are the two most productive returning players to this Southern secondary. Luke Rose and Leroy Bowers could have elevated roles, and Georgia Tech transfer Eric Reed could provide an immediate boost.

“They're getting along great, but they don't know each other, so they're making a way to know each other, and I think that's why they're so close because they didn't know each other, they’ve been here all summer, they found a way to know each other, they found a way to trust each other, and now all they are doing is putting it all together,” Miller said. “But we talk about size and speed, we didn't have that like that (last year). 

Coach Miller added he believes all the new guys should be able to adapt to his scheme, which is centered on having players in the right position and then having them react naturally.

Southern opens their 2024 season at McNeese on August 31.