Blake Anderson inherited a roster with almost no returning production. Now he’s got to find his starting QB from a three-way scramble.
Hattiesburg is in rebuild mode, and nobody feels that more than first-year head coach Blake Anderson. After Charles Huff bolted for Memphis in December on the heels of a 7-6 season and a New Orleans Bowl appearance, Anderson — promoted from offensive coordinator — inherited a roster built almost entirely from scratch: 60 new players from 21 states combined with 25 returners, and a quarterback room with no clear answer at QB1.
That room is where the most interesting story in Golden Eagle football is unfolding. With Braylon Braxton out of eligibility and off to the NFL, Anderson has spent the spring watching a genuine three-man battle take shape: senior transfer Ethan Hampton, who arrived by way of Illinois and Northern Illinois — where he once helped upset a top-five Notre Dame team — senior Landry Lyddy, who filled in capably down the stretch last season and delivered the Golden Eagles a signature win at Arkansas State, and redshirt sophomore John White, who Anderson says has made major strides since a year ago.
Anderson has been blunt about how far White has come, saying last spring the sophomore was in danger of losing his roster spot entirely — and crediting him now with the kind of instincts and poise that put him squarely in the QB1 conversation.
That’s not a coach settling for a default answer — that’s a real competition, and it’s exactly the kind of unresolved storyline that should carry weight into August. Anderson has been candid that this rebuild will take patience: the Golden Eagles are working to establish culture and accountability first, scheme second, given how many new faces are still learning each other’s names. But whichever of the three quarterbacks wins the job will be steering a team that just posted its best season in years and has real Sun Belt West aspirations if the pieces come together.
With fall camp approaching, this competition is quickly becoming one of the top storylines to watch heading into the 2026 season — and one GoGetItSportz will be tracking closely.