PHOTOS: A look back at the second full week of Ole Miss spring football practices
Ole Miss football is entering its third full week of spring practices.
The Rebels close out with the annual Grove Bowl on April 13. They’re expected to fashion what is typically a game-like, team-wide scrimmage into an event more closely resembling the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games.
Regardless of what happens between now and then, though, Ole Miss will be far from a finished, game-ready product. The Rebels have been at the forefront of the transfer-portal explosion in college football.
But with it has brought massive roster turnover each year.
“We’re not a team yet, just a roster,” senior wide receiver Jordan Watkins said last week. He’s in his third Ole Miss season after transferring in from Louisville. “We’re just a group of names all on a list (indicating) they play football at Ole Miss. if we all come together as a team? The sky’s the limit — national championship, College Football Playoffs. That’s our expectation.
“We became a team last year somewhere around fall camp. I expect that, because we’ll add more guys in the summer. Fall camp’s just the time where it’s just you guys. Nobody’s on campus (and) and you’re here 24/7.”
The depth chart is etched in sand, just as sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin wants it.
Still, the most high-profile positions are mostly spoken for, among them quarterback, where Jaxson Dart, previously of USC, is going into Year 3, too.
“I don’t care who plays, where they’re from (or) what year,” Kiffin said. “We’re going to play the best players. I feel really good when we win; I feel really bad when we lose. I’m never going to play someone because they were recruited here or this many years of experience or from whatever state.
“I say that with these guys because I think they know that, and I think that’s part of why they come here.”
The included photos from last week’s round of practices were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.
QB Jaxson Dart
WR Tre Harris
TE Caden Prieskorn
EDGE Princely Umanmielen
CB Trey Amos
WR Ayden Williams
DB Louis Moore
DT Walter Nolen
DT JJ Pegues
Juice Kiffin
Lane Kiffin
Jaxson Dart
Lane Kiffin
WR Jordan Watkins
Tre Harris
WR Cayden Lee
Caden Prieskorn
QB Austin Simmons
LT Diego Pounds
RB Kedrick Reescano
Walter Nolen
Princely Umanmielen
LB Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul
JJ Pegues
EDGE Jared Ivey
DE Kam Franklin
DB Travaris Banks
DB Yam Banks
