Three Rebels selected to SEC All-Freshman Team
Three Ole Miss players were named to the 2016 SEC All-Freshman Team Thursday. Wide receiver Van Jefferson, left tackle Greg Little, and defensive back Jaylon Jones were selected by the league’s coaches as the top freshmen at their position, marking the most Rebels on the All-SEC Freshman Team since Ole Miss placed four on the list after the 2013 season (Laquon Treadwell, Tony Conner, Robert Nkemdiche and Laremy Tunsil).
Van Jefferson
(Photo credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics)
Jefferson, a redshirt freshman, finished 2016 second on the team in catches (49) and third on the team in receiving yards (543), averaging 11.1 yards per catch.
He started all 12 games for the Rebels, catching a total of three TDs and averaging a total of 45.2 yards per game.
Of Jefferson, head coach Hugh Freeze commented at the beginning of the season that the 6-foot-2, 192-pound receiver is perhaps “the best route runner on the team.”
Greg Little
Greg Little before the game with LSU. (Photo credit: Dan Anderson, The Rebel Walk)
Little, a 6-foot-6 offensive lineman from Allen, Texas, was one of the most highly touted of the 2016 signees and he did not disappoint.
Following the LSU game this season, Coach Hugh Freeze praised his true freshman left tackle, saying: “He is going to be an outstanding player and he’s an outstanding leader; he’s a great young man and he’s going to have a bright future.”
Little played in all 12 games at left tackle and started the final five of the season.
Jaylon Jones
When cornerback Ken Webster went down with a season-ending injury in the Rebels’ opening game against Florida State, true freshman Jaylon Jones was pressed into significant playing time.
Jaylon Jones in the Rebels’ game vs. LSU. (Photo credit: Dan Anderson, The Rebel Walk)
He played in all 12 of Ole Miss’ games this season, recording 26 total tackles, 16 of them solo. He was credited for breaking up five passes, forced one fumble and recovered a fumble.
Freeze has been pleased with the talented freshman, saying he believes Jones will be “a very good corner for us for a long time.”
Complete list of 2016 All-Freshman Team
For the complete list of the 2016 All-Freshman Team, click here. Missouri led the way with four selections, while Ole Miss and LSU each had three.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
