OXFORD – According to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, progress is being made as far as turnovers are concerned.
The Rebels held their second scrimmage of the fall on Saturday, and the offense committed just one total turnover on the day, according to Kiffin. That was likely a welcomed sight, as redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons made “critical errors” in the scrimmage the previous weekend.
The No. 21 Rebels begin their season Aug. 30 against Georgia State at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff is 6:45 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Simmons is taking over under center for three-year starter Jaxson Dart, who left Ole Miss as program’s all-time leader in passing yards, total offense and wins by a starting quarterback. Simmons has yet to start a game but completed 19 of 32 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Dart a season ago.
“(Simmons) played a lot better. Had a good day, took care of the ball a lot better,” Kiffin said Monday. “ … (The offense was) much better in that area.”
Ole Miss is still trying to figure out its offensive front, Kiffin said, and injuries have not helped make that an easy matter. The Rebels return just one full-time starter from a season ago in senior Diego Pounds, although senior Jayden Williams has started 19 games in his career. Arkansas junior transfer Patrick Kutas – the highest-rated transfer in the Rebels’ highly touted offseason portal class, per 247Sports – had not been full-go in practice until fairly recently.
“That spot is struggling with a lot of injuries – I don’t think they’re really long-term injuries – so we are struggling number wise there,” Kiffin said. “Guys are having to play different spots, they’re doing a good job. But it’s not ideal by any means.”
Williams Jr. liked Ole Miss’ ‘family-oriented’ atmosphere
Rebels senior safety Wydett Williams Jr. knows going from the Sun Belt Conference to the SEC is a jump in competition. But as someone who has played a lot of college football, “the game is still the same” to him.
Williams, who played last season at Louisiana-Monroe, was a three-star transfer prospect in 247Sports’ rankings. He made 99 tackles and intercepted three passes for the Warhawks in 2024. Prior to his time at ULM, Williams racked up 72 total tackles and five pass breakups in two seasons at Delta State. The Lake Providence, Louisiana native committed to Ole Miss in April.
“They put out a lot of good players,’ Williams said. “I have one year left, and coming from a school like ULM, I felt like this was a good fit being that it’s not too far away from home, too. I just really felt like (Ole Miss was) family-oriented.”
Rebels add former star Moncrief to staff
Former Ole Miss star wide receiver Donte Moncrief announced Friday on social media that he was joining the Rebels’ staff. On3 initially reported the news of Moncrief’s hiring to the personnel/recruiting staff.
The Raleigh, Mississippi native caught 156 passes for 2,371 yards and 20 touchdowns in three seasons at Ole Miss before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Moncrief played seven seasons in the NFL and caught 205 passes for 2,576 yards and 21 touchdowns.
“I love giving opportunities to former players – usually the ones that played for you – but in this case one of the premier players in the history of the school,” Kiffin said. “It’s really good. He knows a lot of people. Good to have him around and join what I believe is a really good recruiting staff.”
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