Day One Observations: Ole Miss Football Opens Fall Camp

The Rebel Walk’s Kam Wicker also contributed to this article. 

OXFORD, Miss. – It’s officially the month of August, which means the start of fall camp for Ole Miss football. This is where the rubber really hits the road as the Rebels look to make the final determination on their starters and stay as healthy as they can as we approach the September 2nd kickoff against Mercer.

With that, it’s time to dive in to day one observations on both sides of the ball.

Quarterbacks

The quarterback battle is perhaps one of the most anticipated in Ole Miss football history. Returning starter Jaxson Dart is coming off of a 2022 campaign that saw him throw for 2,294 yards and 20 touchdowns, with a 62 percent completion rate.

Dart is joined in the quarterback room by Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders, who will provide the stiffest competition for the job. Sanders threw for 2,642 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2022, completing 57 percent of his passes. Dart threw 11 interceptions, compared to nine for Sanders.

Walker Howard, a former five-star transfer from LSU, along with Austin Simmons, a transfer from Florida, make this an incredibly loaded and deep quarterback room.

Loaded QB room, and they all looked solid. Jaxson looks to have put on some more muscle in the off-season as well. pic.twitter.com/Ame91vzAPj

— Austin Eldridge (@AustinonAir1021) August 2, 2023

Dart and Sanders both took first-team reps on day one, and the snap count appeared to be fairly even. Of course, Kiffin was quickly asked in the post-practice presser about how long the competition might last.

Lane Kiffin on the QB competition

While there were some misfires for both Sanders and Dart, each had good performances and hit receivers well, while also showing off their scrambling skills. Dart has clearly put on some muscle during the offseason, and looks ready to stay at the helm of this offense, but Spencer Sanders clearly showed he didn’t come here to settle for the backup job, and he is absolutely going to try and win it.

Coach Kiffin was also asked how the competition going on throughout camp affects the quarterbacks and if he thinks it could cause Dart to second-guess himself.

Lane Kiffin

Running Backs

Quinshon Judkins. What else is there to say?

In all seriousness, Judkins is absolutely massive. I would estimate he’s carrying at least 40 extra pounds of pure muscle, and he has more explosiveness than one of Wile E. Coyote’s failed ACME traps to catch the Roadrunner. And his footwork? Judge for yourself.

https://t.co/x5qtAM9eky pic.twitter.com/0PQ0OO9goc

— Austin Eldridge (@AustinonAir1021) August 2, 2023

Judkins, who has made multiple offensive watch lists during the preseason, is only focused on one thing: winning.

Quinshon Judkins

Judkins is the clear front-runner in the RB room, but Ulysses Bentley IV showed off his speed and agility on day one as well. If he can stay healthy in 2023, the one-two punch of Judkins and Bentley is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.

While most of the chatter has revolved around the Rebels’ deep quarterback room, the running back room isn’t a lightweight either. True freshman Kedrick Reescano is making an early name for himself as well, and shows the potential to see action this year.

Wide Receivers

The Rebels lost a lot of firepower in their receiver corps after 2022, with Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath heading to the NFL. But Lane Kiffin and company don’t seem to have too much to worry about in that area. Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins are both returning this season, and with the loss of Mingo and Heath, Wade and Watkins are primed for breakout seasons. Both showed fantastic athleticism and great route running.

A lot of great catches today, and Jordan Watkins was no exception. pic.twitter.com/WGnZvXEiMc

— Austin Eldridge (@AustinonAir1021) August 2, 2023

But perhaps the most impressive receiver of the day was newcomer Ayden Williams. The freshman from Ridgeland showed out, making some highlight reel catches, including a spectacular toe-tap catch in the corner of the endzone that would’ve been a Sportscenter Top 10 play in a game.

I asked Coach Kiffin what he saw from Williams.

Lane Kiffin on WR Ayden Williams

Louisiana Tech transfer Tre Harris also looked really good, and took most of his reps with the first team. UTSA transfer wide receiver Zakhari Franklin did make his way out to the practice field, but was in a no-contact black jersey. Lane Kiffin did not give any updates on his status, but we will continue to monitor that story.

Offensive Line

While there wasn’t a ton to take away from the offensive line on day one, there is a pretty clear group that stood out as the probable starters. Jayden Williams, Eli Acker, Micah Pettus, Jeremy James, Reece McIntyre and Brycen Sanders all got a large workload on day one. Caleb Warren, the anticipated center, was in a black jersey, indicating he is under no contact restrictions at this time. We will update on that as we can.

The Defense

Ole Miss begins 2023 with a new defensive coordinator, as Pete Golding joined Kiffin’s staff in the offseason, leaving Nick Saban and Alabama to head to Oxford. In the SEC, defense is critical, and the prevailing feeling around the program is one of excitement for this year’s squad.

The most notable defensive recruit to sign with the Rebs was, of course, Suntarine Perkins. He is already a large physical specimen on the field, but certainly the “freshman” part of him came through some today as Pete Golding spent some extra time with Ole Miss’ lone 5-star recruit this cycle.

But most impressive to this reporter was Louisville transfer Monty Montgomery, who also was seen taking time to take Perkins under his wing and help the newcomer learn.

Monty Montgomery on helping the young defensive players

With a large amount of turnover on the defensive side of the roster, the Rebels were clearly still in “learning mode” on day one, and outside of the returning players, there aren’t necessarily any clear starters on Golding’s defense. Cedric Johnson, Deantre Prince, JJ Pegues, Jared Ivey, and Khari Coleman are all expected to be on the field from day one. Notably, Zxavian Harris, the defensive tackle who faces some pending legal charges, was on the field and practicing with the team today. We will continue to follow any further updates on his status if they come.

Other Notes

There were six Rebels in black no-contact jerseys today: Caleb Warren, Jadon Canady, Skielar Mann, Teja Young, Rayf Vinson, and Qua Davis. No other injuries were noted today, and the Rebels have clearly been spending time in the weight room during the offseason.

Looking Ahead

We will continue to bring you coverage from media availability throughout fall camp. We are exactly one month from opening kick, with Mercer coming to Oxford on September 2nd to open the 2023 campaign. That game will be televised on both the SEC Network+ and ESPN+.

Continue to follow The Rebel Walk for all your Ole Miss football coverage.

(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)