Plumlee and Corral impressing Ole Miss teammates in fall camp
OXFORD, Miss. — It’s understandable that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has not tipped his hand on who will be the next quarterback when the season (hopefully) begins on September 26, and perhaps that’s because Kiffin and staff have not yet determined who will be the signal-caller for the Rebels. From all accounts, both redshirt sophomore Matt Corral and sophomore John Rhys Plumlee are standing out in fall camp.
The quarterback competition appears to be as hot as the August heat, producing some high-quality performances from both Corral and Plumlee. And if you ask their teammates, you’ll get nothing but admiration for the work the quarterbacks are putting in and the results being produced on the field.
QB Plumlee throws a pass during practice. (Photo: Josh McCoy)
Linebacker Jacquez Jones is impressed with both. “It’s a good competition,” he explained in a Zoom call with media Friday afternoon.
“John Rhys (Plumlee) has become a better passer. He has improved tremendously. Matt is coming a lot different (this year). He’s more focused. He’s using his feet more. Matt’s got a pass in his toolbox that is dangerous — it’s got me a few times.“
Jacquez Jones on the QBs
Ben Brown, taking over the center position for Eli Johnson who opted out of this season, is charged with snapping the ball to whichever of the talented QBs wins the job. Thus far, Brown says his chemistry is equally good with either.
“With both Matt and John Rhys, I think it’s (chemistry) great. I don’t see any noticeable difference at all when either one is at QB. They’re both very comfortable. They are both very confident. Both of them lead our offense on the field. I feel great having either one of them back at quarterback.”
Center Ben Brown
Sophomore quarterback Matt Corral throws a pass during Wednesday’s practice. (Photo: Josh McCoy)
Brown gave a little insight into the Rebels’ offense under Kiffin. “We still have some tempo, which is awesome,” he said. “I love playing in tempo, and (we have) a little more drop-back pass this season and that will be exciting.”
Brown is looking forward to what the Rebs will look like when they have the ball this season.
“I am loving this offense. I think we’re going to be very productive—just how hard we’ve been practicing and how well coach has gotten us ready. I think it’s an exciting offense this year and I think we’ll put up a lot of points.”
Center Ben Brown on the Rebels’ offense
Brown was asked what differences he sees in Plumlee and Corral this year. “I think they’ve both matured as a passer,” he began. “Both are making incredible passes in practice. Both have legs on them. It’s an exciting competition for sure. This is a great ‘problem’ to have two incredible quarterbacks on the roster.”
Brown was also quick to compliment the other quarterbacks on the roster — Grant Tisdale, Kinkead Dent, and Kade Renfro. “Our whole QB room is loaded with talent and I think that just gives confidence to our whole offense. That gets me fired up.”
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.
