Spring Practices Offer Exciting Look into Ole Miss Football’s Future
OXFORD, Miss. — If spring football practice is a time for coaches to see new talent on their teams, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin needs 20/20 vision. The Rebels’ third-year head coach has many new players to evaluate.
On the first day of spring drills Tuesday, Ole Miss welcomed 17 new faces — 12 scholarship transfers, three freshmen, and two junior college transfers — to add to the talent from a season ago that led the Rebels to their first 10-win regular season in school history.
As excited as the players were to take to the practice field Tuesday, Coach Kiffin was equally anticipating the first day of drills.
“There’s a lot of excitement because there are a lot of new guys, Kiffin said after the first workout.
“Good to be back, to be out there on the field with the guys and a lot of excitement because there are a lot of new guys it’s almost like how it used to be in the fall when you had all the mid-years and all the new guys in the fall to look at. Spring usually is not this way, but with the portal and all of the guys new guys, it’s pretty exciting to be able to go out there and look at all the guys that used to just be basically high schools’ guys that were a long way away and now you’ve got guys that have already played and should have significant roles. It’s pretty exciting.“
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin
One player who arrived on campus recently is running back Ulysses Bentley IV who comes to Oxford after beginning his career at Southern Methodist.
With Jerrion Ealy, Snoop Conner and Henry Parrish all moving on, the talented back is a sight for sore eyes. He’s joined by TCU transfer Zach Evans and high school mid-year enrollee, Quinshon Judkins.
In his first press conference of the spring, Kiffin was specifically asked about Bentley.
“We’ve lost our top three running production-wise running backs from a year ago, so that was a very important addition I think he did some great things there when he was healthy. Kind of had some Devin Singletary type of runs and stuff, so unique timing with all of this and to be able to add guys and they are here today is kind of crazy. I mean I’ve made all of the references to we have free agency, but we have free agency and even more to the fact that a guy’s at another program a few days ago and now he’s here it truly is like free agency.“
Coach Kiffin
The comparison to Singletary is high praise from Kiffin, who coached the current Buffalo Bill when at Florida Atlantic.
There are also new faces to serve at quarterback, receiver and the offensive line.
On defense, the Landsharks received reinforcements from the transfer portal and from early enrollees.
With the new faces, it is important for the players to bond quickly and according to senior defensive back A.J. Finley, the Rebels have done just that.
“I’ve honestly already gotten to know a lot of the new guys…” Finley said Tuesday. “So, it’s good to see new guys. We’ve all meshed together pretty well, so it’s going good.”
As a leader of the defense, Finley kept a sharp eye on his new teammates at the first practice and was impressed by what he saw.
“Off one day, I can say freshman-wise Davison Igbinosun, he’s shown me a lot in one day. Ladarius Tennison, J.J. Pegues, those are the gus off the top of my head, so far,” Finley said. “He’s (Pegues) one of the most-explosive big guys I’ve ever seen. Like coming off the ball, he’s explosive and really strong, so him at nose is going to be a problem (for other teams) this year.“
Ole Miss DB A.J. Finley
Pegues is an Oxford High School graduate and returns home after spending his first two seasons at Auburn.
Spring practices conclude April 23 with the annual Grove Bowl.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
