Ole Miss Football Begins Spring Practices Tuesday
Can you hear that? It’s the sound of the Lane Train coming into the station for year two!
Ole Miss Football is back, folks (*cue the Quad City DJ’s smash-hit “C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train)” over the loud speakers*). The Rebels begin Spring ball Tuesday, March 23, as Lane Kiffin and Co. prepare for their second year at the helm.
— Land Shark Nation™ (@LandSharkNation) March 22, 2021
After an impressive maiden voyage in which Ole Miss finished 5-5 (4-5 SEC), earning an Outback Bowl win over No. 10 Indiana in the process, the Rebels have a lot of eyes on them headed into this coming season.
An early top-25 poll from ESPN even has the Rebels ranked at No. 18 in the country.
Ole Miss loses some serious offensive production with wide receiver Elijah Moore (86 receptions, 1193 yds, 8 TDs), tight end Kenny Yeboah (27 receptions, 524 yds, 6 TDs), and veteran offensive lineman Royce Newman all declaring for the NFL Draft.
Moore, Yeboah and Newman, along with defensive back Jalen Julius, kicker Luke Logan, and long snapper Jack Propst, will show off their skills for NFL scouts on Ole Miss Pro Day Thursday, March 25.
Key Returnees
Ole Miss returns 19 starters as a result of the NCAA giving players an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of these 19 starters, eight will be returning on offense — including superstars like QB Matt Corral, RB Jerrion Ealy, OL Ben Brown, and WR Dontario Drummond.
Nine starters return on defense — including Jacquez Jones, MoMo Sanogo, Lakia Henry, and Sam Williams.
The Rebels also return starting punter Mac Brown who is using his extra year of eligibility to return to the squad.
Newcomers
There will also be some new faces on the sidelines this year after Coach Kiffin raked in a Top 25 recruiting class with big time gets like 4-stars QB Luke Altmeyer, TE Hudson Wolfe, DT Tywone Malone, and S Dink Jackson.
DL Tywone Malone chose the Rebels over some of the top programs in the country.
A large contingent of players have been on campus since January, already working out and preparing for the coming season.
Those early enrollees include:
QB Luke Altmyer, DB Kyndrich Breedlove, DB Markevious Brown, WR Brandon Buckhaulter, LB John Copley, DB MJ Daniels, WR Qua Davis, DE Jamond Gordon, DT Isaiah Iton, DB Dink Jackson, DB Tysheem Johnson, WR Jahcour Pearson (walk-on), OL Micah Pettus, DB Deantre Prince (walk-on), DB Elijah Sabbatini, DB Trey Washington, and DB Demarko Williams.
First spring camp
This will be Lane Kiffin’s first Spring training in Oxford, as last year’s camp was canceled because of the pandemic. It will allow for a lot of young players to get some quality experience as well as some veterans to shake off the rust and get geared up for this summer when the Rebels will hit the ground running.
Ole Miss will practice for roughly a month before culminating with the annual Grove Bowl on April 24th. It was also announced that Saturday practices will be open to the public in the Vaught starting March 27th.
The Rebels open their season against Louisville in Atlanta in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game on September 6th.
We will bring you updates throughout spring camp.
Hotty Toddy!
(Feature image credit: Ole Miss Football, Josh McCoy)
