Ole Miss Football Practice Report for August 1: Week One Standouts And Observations

OXFORD, Miss. — As week one of fall camp for the Ole Miss football team comes to a close, the intensity is heating up as preparation is underway for the first game in just 29 days.

It appears the physicality has increased from last season, and with a new group and fewer injuries, this 2025 camp has a different look from last season.

Questions about the defense 

As the season-opener approaches, many questions surround defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s group as they lost some critical players from last year’s group. With five players from the 2024 defense selected in the 2025 NFL draft, and four others signed as undrafted rookies, a lot of new faces will have to step up for the Rebels.

Throughout week one, there have been some standout performances from every level of the defense.

Coach Golding seems to be very high on cornerback Ricky Fletcher. The Durant, Mississippi native is a transfer from the University of South Alabama, and he has truly stepped up to be a top guy for the defense through week one. With great size and stature at 6-foot-3, 200 lbs, Fletcher has showcased great man-to-man coverage, great footwork, and the ability to force receivers off their routes with ease.

TJ Dottery and Tyler Banks have cultivated a great relationship inside a deep linebacker room, and this unit has the ability to do a lot of different things that suits Golding’s playcalling style.

Princewill Umanmielen and Kam Franklin have looked solid on the defensive line, showcasing great speed and hand movements during drills against the offensive line. Defensive line coach Randall Joyner has praised the two loudly during the two viewing practices, along with redshirt freshman Jeffrey Rush.

A collection of movement is happening throughout the secondary. While it’s still week one, and we only get to see set portions of practice, we have watched as Jaylon Braxton, Sage Ryan, and Kapena Guskihen have shown great moments throughout the first week. They are all competing at a high level to be the main starter in 2025.

Who is stepping up within the offense? 

With so many familiar faces from last season gone on to the NFL, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.’s unit is forging its own path. Although the Rebels have a new starting QB at the helm, the expectation within the program is still at a high as Austin Simmons is smart, talented, and knows Weis Jr.’s playbook like the back of his hand.

Simmons’ ability and his knowledge of the system are part of what makes him look in complete control of the offense. He has great chemistry with his receivers and his lefty throw just looks downright smooth. His confidence is also another component of his game that seems to translate to the players around him.

Wide receivers Izaiah Hartrup and Caleb Odom have also caught our attention this week.

Hartrup, a transfer from Southern Illinois University, has hauled in some outstanding end zone catches from what we’ve been able to observe during our time at practice. He has an ability to create space from defenders, so look for him to be given an opportunity to perform within the offense this year.

With transfer tight end Luke Hasz currently out with an injury, Odom has stepped into the tight end room and truly looks comfortable. With great motion movement behind the line of scrimmage, and shifty moves in open field play, he could be a true dynamic piece, causing headaches for opposing defenders.

West Virginia wide receiver transfer Traylon Ray took some snaps as a kickoff returner today and created many big plays.

On the o-line, it’s clear so far Diego Pounds and Brycen Sanders have truly put in work throughout the offseason to tone their bodies. The two offensive linemen both return to the team and bring experience that will be very key for a young group of guys in the offensive line room. The communication and blitz pickups have been good for those two, as they hope to lead a successful campaign in 2025.

For the most part, we have seen an offensive line that looks like this: senior LT Diego Pounds, sophomore LG Delano Townsend, sophomore C Brycen Sanders, sophomore RG P.J. Wilkins and senior RT Jayden Williams.

As far as the running backs go, it is too early to tell how that will shake out. For now, it looks like Kewan Lacy, Logan Diggs, Domonique Thomas, Damien Taylor and Shekai Mills-Knight are going to man a much deeper RB room than last season when the Rebs struggled for consistency.

Diggs appears completely healthy from a prior knee injury that kept him out last season, so that’s good news. Lacy has flashed speed as well. It’s difficult to tell what’s what during non-contact drills, so we’ll keep you posted as fall camp progresses.

There was a showcase of one-on-ones today, as always. Redshirt junior wide receiver Mac Owen faced off against freshman safety Kegan Sherwood. Sherwood stopped Owen on two out of three routes, but Owen showcased a great catch on top of Sherwood’s head on his first attempt.

Today’s standouts from practice include:

• LB TJ Dottery
• RB Logan Diggs
• CB Ricky Fletcher

Our next opportunity to view a portion of practice comes next Tuesday. We’ll also have more later today on post-practice interviews with Tajh Chambers, Traylon Ray and Delano Townsend. 

(Feature image credit: Daylan Flowers, The Rebel Walk)