Southern Miss football will be without a key piece of its offensive line for the 2026 season. Coach Blake Anderson told media Aug. 15 that graduate center Broderick Roman medically retired from football because of continuous stingers, which are painful nerve injuries in the neck and shoulder. "Brock Roman is going to step away from football," Anderson said. "He's just continuing with stingers over and over and over again." Roman started 13 games for Southern Miss last season — his first 10 at center, his final three at guard — and was expected to play right guard for the Golden Eagles in 2026. The 6-foot-3, 301-pound lineman played seven seasons of college football, six of them at Eastern Michigan. He redshirted in 2019, missed 2021 and 2022 because of injuries, then started nine games for Eastern Michigan in 2024 before transferring to Southern Miss.
"It's unfortunate for Brock," offensive coordinator Kyle Cefalo said. "He had to make a decision that was in his best interest. For someone who's played that much football and has that much experience and had the career that he's had, honestly you've just got to respect his decision and kind of wish him well." Who will step up on Southern Miss' offensive line? Thanks to a recent injunction that granted some players in the high school class of 2022 a fifth year of eligibility, Southern Miss added offensive linemen Greg Nunnery and Aloali'i Maui back to the roster in August. The NCAA is appealing the injunction. Both players started at the two offensive guard spots for the Golden Eagles last season. Nunnery played in the Golden Eagles' scrimmage on Aug. 15 but did not start. Maui, who is still getting acclimated and in football shape, did not play in the scrimmage. Instead, Zerian Hudson, a transfer from Troy, and Causey Jean-Baptiste, a transfer from Butler Community College, started at left guard and right guard, respectively. While Hudson and Jean-Baptiste do not have the experience that Nunnery and Maui have, they have an advantage in that they spent a full offseason with Southern Miss and are in better playing shape right now. The Golden Eagles' next scrimmage on Aug. 22 will give each player an opportunity to claim Roman's spot on the offensive line. Southern Miss opens the season at home Sept. 5 (4 p.m., ESPN+) against Alcorn State. Davis Wilson covers Southern Miss athletics and Hattiesburg news for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at DWilson@hattiesb.gannett.com or find him on X at @Davis_Wilson. This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: How Southern Miss will adjust to starting OL Broderick Roman retiring from football