Oregon State transfer Jam Griffin hits the ground running with the Rebels
OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss running back room has been wildly successful since Lane Kiffin’s arrival in Oxford. Kiffin brought a balanced offense that has seen the Rebels finish No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards per game for two out of his three years in Oxford (2020 and 2022) and No. 2 in the other (2021).
Such a feat is not possible without having more than one player contributing to the ground game — and the portal king has added yet another talented back in Jam Griffin, a transfer from Oregon State.
| Year | SEC Pass Rank | Passing YPG | SEC Rush Rank | Rushing YPG | Overall SEC Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | No. 3 | 344.9 | No. 1 | 211.0 | No. 1 |
| 2021 | No. 3 | 274.8 | No. 2 | 218.0 | No. 1 |
| 2022 | No. 7 | 239.8 | No. 1 | 256.0 | No. 3 |
Players such as Snoop Conner, Jerrion Ealy, Zach Evans and Quinshon Judkins, just to name a few, were all integral parts in past seasons’ success on the ground. The aforementioned Judkins will undoubtedly be the featured back for Coach Kiffin’s Rebs this season. But what might make the difference in some games is who is on the field when Judkins is not.
This season, that will fall to players such as Ulysses Bentley IV, true freshman Kedrick Reescano, and the newly-arrived Griffin.
Of late, Griffin has been getting a lot of buzz. He announced his transfer Friday, August 4th from Oregon State and arrived in Oxford shortly after.
Welcome to the Sip, Jam Griffin! pic.twitter.com/PY80ql6A4F
— We Run the Sip (@OMRebelNation) August 5, 2023
Got straight to work 😤@J_Griffin_6 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/YyV5zfL0AY
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 11, 2023
Griffin played three seasons at Georgia Tech before transferring to Oregon State where he played one season. According to a report from The Oregonian, Griffin is a graduate transfer to Ole Miss, and as a result will be eligible immediately — despite entering the transfer portal after the April 30th deadline.
Griffin was the second running back into the scrimmage Saturday behind Judkins; however, part of that could be because Ulysses Bentley IV has been banged up.
Judkins talked after Saturday’s scrimmage about how quickly Griffin will need to learn the Rebels’ offense.
“Jam is very new and he just recently got here. To be 23 days away from our game, it’s an emphasis on how much he needs to know as soon as possible. Us being a run-first offense, I think that’s major for him as well. I think that’s a big emphasis for him just being here so late in the process, just learning as fast as possible.”
Quinshon Judkins on Jam Griffin
Last season at Oregon State, Griffin rushed for 488 yards on 86 carries. In 12 games he averaged 5.7 yards per carry with four touchdowns.
Wide receivers coach Derrick Nix — who also spent a number of years as the Rebels’ running backs coach — served as the team’s head coach in the scrimmage Saturday, and afterward talked about the stable of backs.
“The running back room as a whole, they’ve been very dynamic so far during camp. They’ve been the catalyst on offense, finishing runs and giving great effort. Since Jam’s gotten here, for a guy that just transferred in, he’s in shape and understands concepts really well. Automatically you notice the quickness of his feet, he can get to top speed and accelerate in a hurry.”
Derrick Nix on Jam Griffin
Griffin got a lot of touches in the scrimmage on Saturday which is good for him and the team to build chemistry with full speed reps together.
“I thought today was a really good day for everyone,” Judkins said Saturday. “Not just the role players on the offense, but also the young guys as well as everybody that’s new is contributing on each side of the ball.”
Ole Miss and Mercer kick off at 1:00 p.m. CT in Vaught-Hemingway on September 2.
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.
