Ole Miss Practice Report Thursday, August 24: Rebels preparing for game week
OXFORD, Miss. – Nine days away from opening kickoff on September 2nd in the Vaught, and the Rebs have started simulating game situations and prepping for game week.
9️⃣ Days until Rebel Football ‼️#ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/Ie8SXSln42
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 24, 2023
Names to Watch
The season is approaching quickly and while we have been filling you in on the starters and position battles, there have also been players putting in the work to earn rotation reps on Saturdays.
This season, the defensive side of the ball is loaded with depth at pretty much every position. Transfer safety John Saunders, Jr. spoke with media after practice today and commented on the expectations surrounding the depth on this season’s squad.
“We want to be top 5 in the nation, in everything. We’ve got enough depth to do it. We got players at every single position, we’re loaded. Just executing every play, that’s what we’re gonna do, every single week like it’s the BIG game.”
Ole Miss safety John Saunders, Jr.
Saunders Jr.’s group is probably the deepest of all the defensive positions.
Next week against Mercer you will see the DBs you have seen all spring and fall. Deantre Prince, Isheem Young, Trey Washington and Ladarius Tennison all look to have huge roles come September 2nd. Transfers Daijahn Anthony, Saunders Jr., Deshawn Gaddie Jr., Teja Young and Zamari Walton are going to be key pieces as well.
Saunders, Jr. commented on how much rotation goes within the room.
“We are really starting to get a feel of playing with each other. We’ve got a lot of rotating, so as much as we are rotating it’s allowing us to get used to playing with different faces instead of the same few guys. We all play together and mesh together.”
John Saunders, Jr.
There’s no doubt the defensive back room is loaded. Additionally, sophomores Richard O’Bryant and Jarell Stinson have most noticeably been two of the players making their way up the depth chart. O’Bryant has been seen with the 1st team defense multiple times. Freshmen AJ Brown and Taylor Groves have both made strides in their games since arriving in Oxford, as well.
In the trenches last year, the Rebs were lacking some depth. Coaches and players have both expressed their excitement about the improvement in that area on both the defensive and offensive lines this fall camp.
Transfer defensive linemen Stephon Wynn Jr. (Alabama and Nebraska) and Akelo Stone (Georgia Tech) both arrived in the summer, joining the Rebels for fall camp. Wynn Jr. has made his way up the Pete Golding depth chart very quickly. The senior has been rotating on the interior defensive line more than anyone so far this camp.
(Click here to read more on Stephon Wynn, Jr.)
Offensive line
The offensive line was an area of concern heading into the offseason last year. But with a few freshmen and transfers added, that room feels a lot more crowded and in the best way possible.
Senior guard Jeremy James spoke to media today about the high amount of rotation on the left side of the line and the versatility of many of the players.
“We’re just trying to get everyone comfortable, wherever. We are going to need people to play everywhere this year. God forbid it, but injuries happen and we’re just trying to get people to play in rotations and different spots.”
Jeremy James
As far as the players rotating in on that left side, we believe transfers Quincy McGee and Victor Curne look to make the biggest impact of them all. Returnees Cedrick Melton and Cedric Nicely have both been seen all over the line so far, providing the coveted depth. Brycen Sanders, Cam East and Preston Cushman are the three freshmen who are expected to grow up fast in the SEC and could be looked at to contribute.
Preparing for Game Week
Even though we are not quite there yet, Coach Lane Kiffin has already begun to simulate game week for his 2023 squad. Weeks ago, Coach Golding discussed similarities between Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Kiffin.
Today, Wynn Jr. did the same, adding that their game week prep is very similar.
“(It’s similar in) a lot of ways, even with how the schedule of camp has been going. There are a lot of similarities in how we did things at ‘Bama to here (Ole Miss). It has made my transition here very much easier, because there are a lot of things I am used to.”
Stephon Wynn, Jr. on similarities with Ole Miss and ‘Bama prep
Thursday morning Ole Miss moved practice indoors for walk-throughs. Every Thursday during the season is walk-through day for the Rebs, allowing them to talk out the issues and really plug into what the coaches are telling them.
Saunders Jr. commented today on learning throughout camp.
“We have just been learning so much, putting in new schemes everyvday. We are really versatile, which I feel like allows us to make way more plays, more than a simple defense. Just being able to play all over the field and get to the ball with ten other guys out there, it’s great.”
John Saunders, Jr.
WE PLAY FOOTBALL NEXT WEEK ‼️#ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/7Iwnt7VKUo
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 24, 2023
Selling out the Student Section
Yesterday, Ole Miss Football social media accounts announced that student season tickets have officially sold out.
This year, more than five thousand freshman were at convocation on August 22nd, and Ole Miss has now welcomed the largest freshman class in school history for the second year in a row. With that being said, be sure to get to the Vaught quickly on gamedays, as I expect things to be more packed than usual.
Student Season Tickets are SOLD OUT 🚨#PartyInTheSip pic.twitter.com/A6SRQI2O7P
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 23, 2023
Injury Report
Several players continue to don the black no-contact jerseys. Those include: safety Teja Young, wide receiver Rayf Vinson, cornerback Jadon Canady, cornerback DeShawn Gaddie and corner back Demarko Williams who were in black no-contact jerseys today.
Linebacker Ladarius Tennison and wide receiver Zakhari Franklin both joined walk-throughs today, somewhat at full speed while wearing no-contact jerseys as well.
Non-injury Notes
Running back Quinshon Judkins was not present at walk-throughs today. But have no fear — the preseason All-American is not hurt. Instead, the buzz was he had a tooth pulled and coaches decided to hold him out for today.
Number Changes
There have been some number changes on the roster, including:
- Quarterback Austin Simmons has changed from No. 8 to No. 13
- Tight end Michael Trigg is now wearing No. 81 instead of No. 0
- Tight end Kyirin Heath is now wearing No. 88 instead of No. 13
- Jam Griffin has changed from No. 6 to No. 8
- Newcomer transfer Graves is wearing No. 32
Up Next
Just over a week away from game one, I’d expect Coach Kiffin to have the players prepping for Mercer over the weekend. They will practice Saturday but media is not allowed to view.
Next week, however, media will have a few opportunities to cover game week as we settle into our typical in-season routine. On Monday, practice is closed to media, but we will have the opportunity to talk to Coach Kiffin and select players afterward. On Tuesday, we are allowed to watch the opening periods of practice only and then will have select players to interview afterward. There will be no practice access after that for the remainder of the week, but we will hear Coach Kiffin on the SEC Coaches Teleconference Wednesday.
Then, finally, on September 2nd at 1 pm in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Ole Miss will host the Mercer Bears to begin the 2023 college football season.
Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for game week updates and other Ole Miss sports coverage!
(Feature image credit of John Saunders, Jr: Ole Miss Athletics)
Kameron Wicker
Kam is an undergraduate at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he’s from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn’t stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He’s a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
