For Marshall Faulk, stepping out of Deion Sanders’ shadow meant taking on new pressures. The Southern Jaguars saw the first glimpse of their head coach in action during their first practice. It brought more than just Southern heat for the former Colorado coach; it also brought a glaring issue he couldn’t ignore.

The work is clearly cut out for the new coach, with a fully upgraded roster following last season’s 2-10 finish. Energy was high, competition was sharper, and the players bought into a simple but demanding philosophy: stack good days on top of good days every practice session. That mindset carried into the Jaguars’ annual spring game, an event that no storm could have stopped.

However, the offensive penalties frustrated the head coach in the spring game, who is trying to establish a better team with a feeling of “we rather than me.” When asked about those mistakes and whether they were a concern, he didn’t sugarcoat his response.

“I’m concerned about it. I got a book full of it. It’s literally the first thing I’m addressing.”

The pre-snap penalties weren’t just minor errors for Marshall in a program trying to rebuild; that’s something he has zero tolerance for. Faulk’s main focus on the remainder of the practices would be on eliminating the shortcomings of the Scrimmage. Despite that, the newly appointed head coach was pleased with how the boys played in rough weather.

“We’ve been blessed with this,” Faulk said. “This could happen in Mississippi, this could happen in Florida, this can happen to us. And we got a chance to see how we’re going to respond. Respond well. And that’s what they did. They came out, and they responded well.”

The third team’s defense during its 2-minute drill against the first team offense left an impression on Faulk. The head coach is confident about the defense coming on every team’s offense, as they did on their own defense. “We’re not going to be a bend-but-don’t-break type defense,” Faulk said.

While the offense worked to find its rhythm, the defense showed flashes of promise. Freshman cornerback Jylon Jackson made his presence felt with an impressive pass breakup, signaling potential in a rebuilding secondary. Meanwhile, the quarterback competition between Ashton Strother and Wyatt McCauley intensified, though neither definitively seized the starting job in the scrimmage.

All About Marshall Faulk

Marshall Faulk is not just another name in football; he is a man with a legacy. He dominated San Diego State as the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft in 1994. Faulk played 12 seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams, retiring in 2005.

Faulk brings a Hall of Fame pedigree to the Jaguars, built on a career with over 12,000 rushing yards and a Super Bowl title. That history as an NFL MVP is the bedrock of the demanding, championship-level standard he is now instilling at Southern.

Last season, the 52-year-old worked under Deion Sanders in Colorado as the team’s running back coach. In December of 2025, he signed a three-year contract with the Jaguars, embarking on his new journey as a head coach.