BARNEStorming: Ole Miss offensive depth and a look around the college football world

Each week, our senior football writer Steve Barnes takes a look at interesting and important events around the college football world in his “BARNEStorming” column. 

OXFORD, Miss. — Many have spoken and written about how deep the Ole Miss quarterback room is. With returning starter Jaxson Dart, Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard from LSU, that group is enviable. Add to it true freshman Austin Simmons and most coaches around the country would trade with Lane Kiffin.

But there are a couple other skill rooms that cannot be overlooked.

Quinshon Judkins comes back after a record-setting rushing season as a freshman and he is joined by Ulysses Bentley IV. Newcomer and four-star recruit Kedrick Reescano is expected to see playing time. Also Fred McAfee is back after lighting things up in the spring’s Grove Bowl.

Yet look out for the tight end room.

Michael Trigg returns. The physical specimen missed most of last year after breaking his collarbone, but several preseason publications project him as the Rebels’ top-rated NFL prospect. And welcome Caden Prieskorn from Memphis. All he did as a Tiger last year was catch 48 passes for over 600 yards and seven touchdowns.

Lane Kiffin continues to prove he can get talented dudes from the portal. Memphis TE Caden Prieskorn committed to Ole Miss today.

Roughly 50 schools reached out including Miami/Oregon/Wisconsin/Oklahoma State.

Caught up with @cpkorn12 today & he shared why he picked the Rebs: pic.twitter.com/2ZRZbZfzYK

— Jon Sokoloff (@JonSokoloff) January 10, 2023

Kyirin Heath is also back and three-star recruit Jayvontay Connor joins the team.

The quarterback room in Oxford is not the only skill room that is impressive.

A FORMER REBEL MOVING UP THE RANKS: 

This time last year, Tayler Polk was starting his first full-time job at the FBS level. The former Ole Miss linebacker had been hired to coach that position at Troy.

All the Trojans did was finish 12-2, win the Cure Bowl and Polk mentored Carlton Martial who became the all-time leading tackler in Division I.

Troy head coach Jon Sumrall — a former Ole Miss assistant — noticed Polk’s success. After only one season as an FBS assistant, Polk has been promoted to the Trojans’ co-defensive coordinator.

Here’s a look back at Polk at Ole Miss.

Let's all watch and relish in the absurdity of the replay of Tayler Polk covering Christian Kirk. pic.twitter.com/zahs1VmfvT

— Ben Garrett (@SpiritBen) November 19, 2017

WILDCATS START SOFT

In 2022, Ole Miss had a schedule that was loaded for success early. The Rebels opened with Troy, Central Arkansas, Tulsa, Georgia Tech and then opened SEC play with Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

The result was a 6-0 record and a lofty national ranking until the back half of the schedule caused the team to falter.

So who has that Ole Miss schedule this year?

Kentucky.

The Wildcats open the slate with games against Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Akron, Vanderbilt and Florida. (Sure UK lost to Vandy last year, but the Commodores may not be going in the right direction. Nor are the Gators.)

That means the Wildcats could be 5-0 when they go to Athens to take on Georgia.

PLEASE, RULES COMMITTEE

The SEC Network replayed last year’s Ole Miss-Kentucky game recently. In the fourth quarter, one of the most pivotal plays of the game occurred. UK quarterback Will Levis ran to his left and was being tackled when on one side the Rebels’ A.J. Finley hit Levis as another defender knocked the ball loose and Ole Miss recovered the fumble.

Television showed the replay many times and a commentator kept commenting Finley’s hit should have been called targeting.

But a closer look showed Finley attempting to hit Levis in the rib area with his facemask — which is legal. But just before contact, Levis lowers his head to initiate contact, thus causing a helmet-to-helmet hit.

There is such a thing as offensive targeting.

It will not be long until offensive coaches begin to instruct their ball carriers to lower their heads just before contact. That might cause an official to call targeting on the defense.

This rule needs revision.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE BIG 10? 

It appears Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh might receive a four-game suspension for buying a kid a hamburger.

But doesn’t the conference have more pressing issues?

Northwestern recently fired coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a scandal about hazing. Actually, not just hazing. Hazing in a sexual manner. The lawsuits are beginning to mount against the Evanston, Ill., school.

In the past there have been abuse allegations from Ohio State wrestlers, about a Michigan State team physician and who can forget Jerry Sandusky at Penn State?

It seems buying a kid a quarter pounder with cheese (or letting a recruit sleep on a couch)pales against those other offenses.

ESPN RELEASES LOCAL FOR GAME DAY FOR WEEK ONE

ESPN released its local for Game Day for week one. Although LSU takes on Florida State in Disney’s backyard, the network will be broadcasting the popular pregame show from Charlotte, N.C., prior to the North Carolina-South Carolina game.

Coincidentally, Charlotte is home to the SEC Network.

This is not to say the game between UNC and the Gamecocks will be bad, but let’s face it, FSU-LSU has more national implications.

Looking at the rest of the season, it is doubtful Game Day will be in the Sunshine State at all this season. Florida and Miami are not expected to do a whole lot and FSU’s other big game is against Clemson in Death Valley, not Tallahassee.

At the NFL level, of the three pro franchises in the state, only one — Jacksonville — has a game on ESPN.