Greg McElroy analyzes Ole Miss' chances to make College Football Playoff in 2024
The Ole Miss Rebels have had an impressive offseason in the transfer portal, securing commitments out of 15 players from the portal featuring some serious star power within the SEC.
Ole Miss currently ranks No. 3 in the nation on On3’s 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings with an Index Score of 63. But will their new additions result in on the field success and their first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff in 2024?
College football analyst Greg McElroy answered just that, assessing Ole Miss’ transfer portal activity and upcoming schedule to determine if they’ll make the cut in the new expanded 12-team CFP.
“They have had a terrific offseason, I’m talking terrific offseason,” McElroy repeated on his show ‘Always College Football’. “Now, offseason can only go so far, but if you look at the pieces that they’ve added, yes they lost Quinshon Judkins who’s arguably the best running back in the entire country. You can make that case. Now he’s a little banged up early in the year last year, but two years ago, he was as good as anybody at running back in all of college football.”
For all that Ole Miss gained this offseason in the transfer portal, Judkins definitely represents their greatest loss. With Judkins committing to Ohio State after rushing for 2,274 yards and 31 touchdowns in his two seasons in Oxford. But McElroy believes that the Rebels will still be able to maintain a solid rushing attack without him.
“But they do have adequate pieces there behind him to kind of fill that void. I don’t think Ulysses Bentley is going to be Quinshon Judkins 2.0, I don’t think the addition of Logan Diggs from LSU is going to totally fill the void that is Quinshon Judkins. But I think they have capable, veteran replacements that are gonna be stepping into a spot that is vacated by one of the most talented in the country,” McElroy explained.
Along with Diggs, head coach Lane Kiffin was able to add some key pieces to his offense like wide receivers Juice Wells and Devin Price to go along with returning players like Jaxson Dart, Tre Harris, and Caden Prieskorn. But according to McElroy, the defensive side of the ball is where Ole Miss really stepped up through the portal this offseason.
“But the big additions for Lane Kiffin this offseason have mostly come on the defensive side of the football … They have really done a great job of upgrading their talent and depth on the defensive side and Pete Golding I think with these new pieces is gonna be able to create a little bit more of an edge on that side of the ball,” McElroy said.
From proven SEC players in the front seven like Princely Umanmielen, Walter Nolen, and Chris Paul Jr. to additions in the secondary like Trey Amos, Yam Banks, and Brandon Turnage, the Ole Miss defense surely looks the part on paper. With a favorable schedule in the eyes of McElroy to go along with their new look roster.
“Their toughest two opponents too are both at home,” McElroy said. “You get Oklahoma at home and you get Georgia at home, and of all the schedules in the SEC, I think Ole Miss might have the most manageable.”
With a favorable non-conference schedule, McElroy forecasts that the Rebels could secure yet another 10-win season under Kiffin with losses to LSU and Georgia. Giving them slightly better than a coin-flip odds of making it ti the College Football Playoff when the 2024 regular season is all said and done.
“Now could they potentially go 9-3 and still make the playoff? Sure, which is why I have their percentage chance that they make the 12-team playoff at 60 percent. Just a lot of new faces, a lot of questions, a lot of unknowns, but you gotta feel good about the talent that they’ve added and the depth that they’ve added on both sides of the football,” McElroy concluded.