Ole Miss linebackers turn question marks into exclamation points
OXFORD, Miss. — Back when Ole Miss entered spring practice, the Rebs did so with some question marks at the linebacker position. Now, they’ve got nothing but exclamation marks when it comes to the performance at that position thus far as transfers Troy Brown and Khari Coleman are playing outstanding football.
Following the departure of linebackers Chance Campbell and Mark Robinson to the Titans and Steelers, respectively, Ole Miss lost a huge chunk of tackling production from last season.
But this season, Brown and Coleman have made their presence felt immediately. Austin Keys and Ashanti Cistrunk return with much-needed experience.
Senior safety AJ Finley believes that while the Rebels lost a lot at the position, they have an excellent mix of newcomers and returnees who have the linebacker position in good hands.
“With Mark (Robinson) and Chance (Campbell), those guys leaving, those were really the heart of our defense last year,” said safety Finley in a recent visit with The Rebel Walk.
“Those were the really the heart of our defense last year. And so them having to come in and replace those guys, I feel like that is hard shoes to fill, but I feel like they’ve done a good job so far through one game,” Finley said of this year’s linebackers.
Both Brown and Coleman notched spectacular debuts in the season-opener against Troy last Saturday.
Troy Brown
Brown finished the contest against the Trojans with 11 total tackles while playing 64 snaps. He is a transfer from Central Michigan, where he won three straight First Team All-MAC selections.
Brown is currently on the 2022 Butkus Award Watch List which is awarded to the top linebacker in college football.
“We showed sparks of what we can do on defense…but we have to stay grounded.”, #OleMiss linebacker Troy Brown. pic.twitter.com/VklsJnBWb0
— Aidan Gallardo (@aidangallard0) September 3, 2022
In his four seasons at Central Michigan, Brown appeared in 41 games, starting 30 of them. Prior to arriving in Oxford, he had notched 215 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, five interceptions and three forced fumbles in those four seasons for the Chippewas.
Khari Coleman
Probably the most impressive performance of any Rebel against Troy was that of Khari Coleman. The transfer from TCU finished the game with eight tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks. He played 39 snaps against Troy.
Leave it to Ole Miss to figure out how to properly use Khari Coleman (#23). Playing off-ball linebacker, he's able to properly read the flow of the offense and come screaming downhill for a big tackle for a loss. pic.twitter.com/GhjqqkPdP0
— Nick Price (@PriceCheck3) September 5, 2022
In 2020, Coleman was a Freshman All-American and ranked seventh nationally in tackles for loss with 15.
Sometimes with new players, you never truly know what you are getting until they strap up and hit the field for your team. With Brown and Coleman that was not the case.
“I mean, I never doubted those guys,” said AJ Finley of his teammates.
“When they first got here, I knew they were going to be some immediate impact players. So nothing really that they did on Saturday shocked me. I knew what they had, so I knew what they were going to do.”
AJ Finley on Troy Brown and Khari Coleman
Both Keys and Cistruck also contributed as they tallied five tackles between them. Keys played 40 snaps while Cistrunk played 17.
Defensive depth
The defensive depth will play a big role this season for the Rebs. In the game against Troy, 20 different players played on defense. The luxury of having quality depth once the SEC portion of the schedule rolls around will help keep players fresh while not creating a drop-off in talent when the starters take a breather.
The Ole Miss defense made big strides from 2020 to 2021. And led by defensive coordinator Chris Partridge, the Rebs are poised to make another leap in 2022.
Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk as we will continue to fill you in on all things Ole Miss football.
Hotty Toddy and Go Rebs!
(Feature images credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss; Feature graphic credit: Nick Filipich, The Rebel Walk)
Nick Filipich
Nick Filipich was born and raised in Biloxi, MS. He is an Ole Miss alum with a degree in Sports and Recreation Administration. A sports junkie with a great passion for all things Ole Miss, Nick played baseball and football in high school — which is where he discovered his love for sports. He is an avid Braves and Saints fan, and in his free time enjoys spending time with family, friends and his black lab, Dixie.
