Ole Miss linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk named SEC Defensive Player of the Week
Senior linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk was, arguably, Ole Miss’ defensive MVP Saturday against Arkansas.
The SEC , on Monday, seemed to agree.
Cistrunk was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week in honor of his individual performance in a 27-20 Rebel win. Cistrunk, on just 25 snaps, finished second on the team in tackles (behind Trey Washington) with a season-high nine, and he also hauled in his first interception of the season.
Ole Miss, collectively, held Arkansas to just 288 total yards, the fewest surrendered to an SEC opponent since Vanderbilt in October of 2019 (264). The Rebels gave up a measly 36 rushing yards, their fewest against an SEC opponent since holding Tennessee to zero in October of 2014.
Ole Miss had a season-high five sacks. The Rebels have had at least four sacks in four out of six games Cistrunk combined on a pivotal, fourth-quarter, third-down sack with the Rebels clinging to a four-point lead.
“We could have done some things better as far as tackling, but we played pretty good,” Cistrunk said afterwards. “(Ole Miss head) Coach (Lane) Kiffin put a lot on us to come back, so we just worked at it. We focused on everything we were doing and the little small details. The scout team has been helping us with the looks.
“We got after it.”
None more so than Cistrunk, who now has two career interceptions.
“I really was just reading off of (Arkansas QB) KJ (Jefferson),” Cistrunk said. “Tried to bait him a little bit, and then I broke on it and I caught the pick. I was just laughing the whole time. I’ve been hearing from my teammates how I run slow.
“I guess I’ve got to do speed training the rest of this week.”
