OXFORD — College football is (almost) in the air.
August is right around the corner, which means fall practice for Ole Miss and the rest of the college football world is nearly here. The Rebels — coming off the first 11-win season in program history and a near certainty for the preseason Associated Press top 10 — begin their season Aug. 31 at home against Furman. Ole Miss returns several key pieces from last year’s team, including star quarterback Jaxson Dart, receiver Tre Harris, tight end Caden Prieskorn and defensive linemen Jared Ivey and J.J. Pegues. The Rebels also added elite talent through the transfer portal, headlined by defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen and wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr.
Here are five storylines to watch for when the Rebels begin practice.
How will the offensive line shake out?
Ole Miss returns three of its five starting offensive linemen from a season ago and six players who have previously started games at Ole Miss. The Rebels also added talent through the transfer portal, headlined by Washington duo Nate Kalepo and Julius Buelow, who were members of the Huskies’ Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line last year. The Rebels also added Southern Miss’ Gerquan Scott (41 starts) and North Carolina’s Diego Pounds (nine starts).
It’s a good problem to have the depth the Rebels do, but how the starting five rolls out will be interesting to monitor in the coming weeks. Assuming center Caleb Warren, tackle Micah Pettus and guard/tackle Jeremy James are penciled in as starters, how do the other two spots work themselves out? What are the plans for tackle Jayden Williams, who started all 13 games in 2022 but made just two starts in 2023? Will the Rebels rotate linemen throughout games to keep players fresh?
What will the timeshare be at running back?
Ole Miss fans got used to Quinshon Judkins getting the bulk of carries the last two years, but the two-time All-SEC pick transferred to Ohio State this offseason. Ulysses Bentley IV, who ran for 540 yards and four touchdowns last season, is back. The Rebels also added a pair of big names through the transfer portal in Miami (Ohio) running back Rashad Amos and Miami’s Henry Parrish Jr., who played his first two seasons in Oxford. Amos ran for 1,075 yards and 13 touchdowns for the RedHawks in 2023 while Parrish has 2,057 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in four previous seasons with the Rebels and Hurricanes.
Will one of the running backs emerge as a “featured back” like Judkins was the last two years? Or will it be situational and by committee like it was under Kiffin in 2020 and 2021, when Parrish, Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy split the load?
How will Wells acclimate?
Wells — who goes by “Juice” — was Ole Miss’ biggest transfer portal addition on offense. He was a first-team All-SEC pick in 2022 at South Carolina after catching 68 passes for 928 yards and six scores. Wells missed most of last season with a foot injury. He transferred to Ole Miss and was on campus this spring but did not practice as he recovered from the injury.
Dart already had Harris, Watkins and Prieskorn at his disposal — a combined 2,175 yards and 15 touchdowns worth of production from last year — and now has another premier receiving option. How does Wells fit into the grand scheme of the offense, especially with Harris entrenched as the team’s top wideout?
How will defensive coordinator Pete Golding use Suntarine Perkins?
Perkins was the jewel of Ole Miss’ 2023 recruiting class and largely lived up to his lofty expectations in his first season, earning freshman All-SEC honors. He started two games at linebacker as a freshman but spent most of his spring lined up at defensive end. Ole Miss’ online roster has officially moved him from linebacker to defensive end as well. Will he serve as a traditional defensive end in 2024 despite being listed at 210 pounds? Will he be a hybrid end/linebacker like Golding used at Alabama — the JACK position? Perkins is expected to play a huge role for Ole Miss this year; it’s just a matter of how.
How do the new pieces fit in the secondary?
Ole Miss lost starting cornerbacks Deantre Prince and Zamari Walton and safety Daijahn Anthony this offseason; Prince and Anthony were both NFL Draft picks. Starting nickelback John Saunders Jr. is back, as is safety Trey Washington. The Rebels loaded up on cornerbacks in the transfer portal this offseason, adding Trey Amos (Alabama), Brandon Turnage (Tennessee) and Isaiah Hamilton (Houston). They also added safeties Yam Banks (South Alabama), Key Lawrence (Oklahoma) and Louis Moore (Indiana). The Rebels have also recruited defensive backs from the high school ranks in recent years, including four-star cornerback A.J. Brown, and return experienced players like Chris Graves Jr.
As was the case with the offensive line, depth is a good issue to have. But what combination of players will yield the best results come game day? How interchangeable are the parts, and who are the constants?
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