Ole Miss Football Spring Practice Report | April 1 Notes from the Field

OXFORD, Miss. — Beginning another week of Spring camp, the Ole Miss football team went back to work at the Manning Practice Facility with returners and newcomers continuing to showcase their skillsets ahead of the 2025 season in Oxford.

Following the conclusion of Tuesday’s practice, head coach Lane Kiffin talked about what he likes the most so far from what he has seen.

“To have all of our coaches back so there’s no transition is really good because we have a lot of new players… I think our passing game on offense has done some really good things.”

– Lane Kiffin on his coaching staff

— Zach Moreth (@ZachMoreth) April 1, 2025

Offense

Now three weeks into practice, the Rebel quarterbacks seem to be settling in. Returners Austin Simmons and AJ Maddox continue to show off their arm strength, flashing a ton of velocity on intermediate throws. Although the arm talent is what is talked about most, Simmons showcased the dual-threat ability a few times throughout practice Tuesday, proving that his legs will not be an issue.

Intermediate throws for the Rebel QBs on the skinny post, showing off the velocity.

No. 13 Austin Simmons
No. 15 AJ Maddox
No. 12 Pierce Clarkson

Videos: @kam_wicker pic.twitter.com/NMeHP5HEOt

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) April 1, 2025

In the backfield alongside them, Logan Diggs and Domonique Thomas still lead the group as the only returners. However, transfers Kewan Lacy (Missouri) and Jordan Simmons (Akron) stand out often with their unique abilities. Lacy looks to have an Alvin Kamara play style that relies heavily on balance, patience and power. Simmons seems to be one of the fastest players on the roster so far; the senior averaged six yards per carry in 2024.

Kewan Lacy, not a big fan of gravity.#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/lajw0bJXhW

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) March 29, 2025

The playmakers look the part for Ole Miss as well, undoubtedly being the deepest position group on the roster. The big question is; where does expected summer enrollee Caleb Cunningham fit in once he arrives? The blue-chip receiver prospect will likely push for playtime alongside other newcomers such as Deuce Alexander, Traylon Ray, Caleb Odom, and Winston Watkins.

smooth 😮‍💨 @winstonwatkins_ #ComeToTheSip | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/M9ewDG7zA6

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) March 27, 2025

Oklahoma State transfer De’Zhaun Stribling still looks like a primary outside threat for the Rebels, but took a light approach to practice today which gave players such as Odom and Alexander more reps on the outside. Penn State transfer Harrison Wallace III already sees a lot of throws coming his way in Spring as well, and will look to be one of Simmons’ favorite targets alongside Cayden Lee and Stribling.

Adding to the playmakers but also to the line of scrimmage, Arkansas tight end transfer Luke Hasz continues to rep as the primary tight end in Spring so far. However, returning break out star Dae’Quan Wright has taken a light approach to Spring as he looks to get fully healthy before the Fall.

Up front in the trenches, Percy Lewis and Cam East have anchored the tackle spots with returning starters Diego Pounds and Jayden Williams sitting out for most of the live snaps and only participating in drills. East and Lewis have both repped at left and right tackle.

Arkansas transfer Patrick Kutas was managing the center duties at the start of camp, however, returner Brycen Sanders has returned to the position after a light approach through the first two weeks. Kutas now reps at the guard spots with work at center still in his practice routine.

Defense

In the defensive secondary, Kapena Gushiken stood out. The Washington State transfer reps at the nickel safety spot, giving him opportunities to show off his disguised pass rush skills. LSU transfer Sage Ryan and returner Andy Jaffe have been seen over the top of the defense so far for Ole Miss. With many corners and other defensive backs taking a light practice approach, returners TJ Banks and Cedrick Beavers have been the main coverage guys for the Landshark defense.

Missouri State transfer Tahj Chambers looks the part at inside linebacker despite the expectation by many that he would be an outside linebacker. The size and speed from the newcomer screams SEC talent; standing next to players such as Tyler Banks and making him look like a normal sized linebacker. Although videos tend to show Simmons having his way with the Rebel defense, the pressure and middle of the field pass coverage for Ole Miss continues to make it difficult for the signal-caller.

TO THE CRIB 🏡 @TylerBanks25 #MorningRoutine | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/jjwq3n3ms8

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) March 29, 2025

Although preseason All-American Suntarine Perkins has not practiced so far during camp, many can expect the junior outside linebacker to be a primary pash rusher come fall. Returner DeeJay Holmes has taken advantage of his opportunities with Perkins out, working alongside Princewill Umanmielen and defensive analyst Lou Spanos during outside linebacker drills.

As far as the rest of the defensive front, it’s hard to tell who will actually trot onto the gridiron when the 2025 season arrives. One thing you can rely on is the amount of rotational reps we will see from the defensive line with the surplus of talent that returned and arrived.

Returner Kam Franklin looked impressive during live snaps today on the edge, winning most of his one-on-one battles with his pure strength. Perhaps one of the more polished defensive linemen on the roster, returner Jamarious Brown was seen in the backfield several times throughout the course of live reps as well.

Up next

The Rebels will continue their spring camp practices throughout the week, leading up to Meet the Rebels Day which returns for the first time in the Kiffin era on April 12. Stay tuned in with The Rebel Walk for more Ole Miss football updates as Spring rolls on.