Todd Orlando has coordinated defenses at some of the most high-profile programs in college football, as well as top, up-and-coming Group of Five teams.

He'll get another opportunity at the G-5 level to run the defensive show, FootballScoop has learned.

Sources tell FootballScoop that Orlando is being targeted by South Alabama coach Major Applewhite to run the Jaguars' defense.

Most recently, Orlando had orchestrated the defense in Tampa, Florida, for Alex Golesh's USF Bulls program.

Golesh was hired at Auburn Nov. 30 to take over the Tigers program and retained incumbent defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who had served as Auburn's interim head coach once the school fired Hugh Freeze.

On the heels of an disappointing 4-8 season that followed 2024's seven-win campaign defensive coordinator Will Windham was hired away by Texas State and highly regarded defensive line coach Jerone Steckel took the same position at Southern Miss. Applewhite needed to reload.

In Orlando, Applewhite gets a veteran defensive leader who's helped run the defenses at blue-blood programs Texas and USC. Orlando also previously worked with Applewhite a decade ago at the University of Houston, where Applewhite was the offensive coordinator and Orlando ran the defense.

Applewhite got his first head coaching job at Houston in 2016, and Orlando transitioned to the Texas Longhorns after serving as Applewhite's inaugural defensive coordinator.

A former Wisconsin player who started his coaching career at the high school level in Pennsylvania, Orlando also has coached at the Football Championship Subdivision level at Ivy League program Penn before he landed his first Football Bowls Subdivision opportunity at UConn.

He's also coached at FIU, Utah State and Florida Atlantic.

South Alabama won three of its final five games after a six-game losing streak to capture some modest momentum heading into the offseason.

Applewhite, entering his third season atop the Jaguars program, is set to see his team open its 2026 season Sept. 5 at home against Southeastern Louisiana before a regional rivalry game in New Orleans, Louisiana, against Tulane a week later. The Green Wave, coming off the program's first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, will be led by new coach Will Hall after Jon Sumrall was hired away by the Florida Gators.

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