Southern Miss will be on the road to Lexington, Kentucky, where it will open its season at Kentucky, in less than two months.
As that and Conference USA Media Days approach, the Hattiesburg American will count down the 10 most important Golden Eagles for the 2016 season.
Today marks the first installment of the series, which is less an evaluation of each player’s talent and has more to do with which Golden Eagle is most valuable to the team given a wide array of circumstances.
No. 10: Xavier Thigpen
Position: Defensive end/linebacker
Year: Redshirt junior
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 250 pounds
In 2015: Thigpen, whose nickname is “PawPaw,” did not register a start for the 9-5 Golden Eagles.