OXFORD, Miss. – Kicking off week three of fall camp, the Ole Miss Rebels football team hit the gridiron once again today as they draw ever closer to the week one season opener in Vaught-Hemingway stadium on August 31.
Offense
As camp rolls on, the more and more we start to see the offensive line for the Rebels play out. Last week, I began to notice sophomore Preston Cushman in a new role, offensive tackle. With all the new faces up front for the Rebels, I would expect to see some changes from last year’s five up front as assistant coach John Garrison seems to be playing around with the depth in that room.
Today I also noticed that running back Ulysses ‘Doo’ Bentley IV seems to be at full speed now. At the start of camp, it seemed like the 2023 returner was taking caution but looked as if he was hitting top speed today. I expect to see the third-year Rebel have a much bigger impact than previous years for the Ole Miss offense.
The playmakers in this Charlie Weis Jr. system seem to be everywhere you look. Recent Utah State transfer wide receiver Micah Davis seems to be in the mix already, finding his way onto the field at practice today with the likes of Tre Harris, Cayden Lee, Caden Prieskorn and others. Davis, the newest addition to this loaded wide receiver group, brings more over-the-top speed for Weis Jr. to create magic for.
Speaking of the wideouts, it was Lee and Ayden Williams turning heads once again today. Both of the young playmakers seem to be building a chemistry with quarterback Jaxson Dart. The sophomores were targeted multiple times during live play today as well.
Defense
The Landshark defense looks better every day as fall camp rolls on, making it easy to find different guys to talk about each day. Today, the secondary for the Rebels looked the part as they began practice with great pass coverage against one of the best receiver rooms in the country.
Senior safety John Saunders Jr. intercepted a pass in the endzone today — a tip-drill type of ball that the veteran came down with, setting the tone for the defense at the beginning of practice today.
Speaking of safeties, it seems like coach Wes Neighbors III has his hands full trying to find ways to work in all the talent in the back end of this Ole Miss defense. So far, we have seen Yam Banks, Louis Moore, Key Lawrence, Trey Washington and Nick Cull all being repped at multiple safety spots.
Just below the secondary and roaming the middle of the field, the Ole Miss linebackers continue to show different looks as well. Redshirt freshman and former safety Daniel Demery seems to have tacked on a few more pounds and switched to linebacker.
Another name I feel like many Rebel fans might be overlooking is Khari Coleman. The senior linebacker has always turned heads with his playstyle; however, 2024 could be the season that he separates himself from the rest of the pack.
In the trenches for Rebel defensive coordinator Pete Golding, Jacksonville State transfer Chris Hardie continues to impress. The senior edge rusher looks to have the size, speed and strength to make a difference upfront in the SEC.
Other newcomers Kam Franklin, Will Echoles and Jeffery Rush have my attention as well. Just last week, Golding claimed to have eight to nine different guys who will be ready to play up front when week one rolls around, and I would not be surprised if we saw the three true freshmen trot out into the field for some actual reps.
Standouts at Today’s Practice
- Micah Davis (WR)
- Preston Cushman (OL)
- John Saunders Jr. (S)
Up Next
The Ole Miss football team will continue with their regular fall camp schedule with practice again tomorrow evening. This all leads up to week one in the Vaught against the Furman Paladins, just 19 days away now on August 31st.
Stay tuned at The Rebel Walk for more Ole Miss football reports.
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Kameron Wicker
Kam is a senior 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.
