The young guns of the Ole Miss offense are turning heads early in fall camp
There is plenty of talent scattered throughout the Ole Miss offense with all position groups and the excitement is high on that side of the football.
But after a handful of practices in the first week of fall camp there are true freshman who are meeting their own hype with their performances.
Wide receiver Ayden Williams and quarterback Austin Simmons are two young guns in the Ole Miss offense that have caught the attention from everyone that has been watching the first four practices.
The receiver group is an area that is up for the taking when it comes to the number one target for the Ole Miss quarterbacks. A receiver by the committee has been the approach and the attitude but Williams could be moving up the depth chart and proverbial ladder.
Jordan Watkins, Jalen Knox and Tre Harris might have a leg up on Williams just out of experience and seniority but Williams is looking the part of a player who is not a handful of practices into their college career.
“Ayden is a dog. Ayden is going to be good for a very long time,” Knox said after Monday’s practice. “I’m very happy to have him on the team.”
Throughout the two-plus hour practices Williams has been seen to make highlight type catches as well as creating separation early in is routes. The speed that has been talked about with him is there and he looks the part of a top receiver in the Southeastern Conference.
Of course the opening week of the season against Mercer is still just under four weeks away and time will tell how quickly Williams will become an impact player once SEC play gets here.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is doing his best to make sure the “rat poison” stays away from his freshman’s ears as much as he can help it.
“I kind of rather you guys just report about how great (Williams) is,” Kiffin quipped during his weekly press conference on Monday. “So I can keep him humble and keep him working. But, you guys see what I see. Still got a lot of work to do but you can report what you see there.”
Kiffin is keeping his new receiver in check but he did offer up some praise to the newest and youngest Ole Miss quarterback.
Simmons arrived to Oxford shortly before the start of camp and has already put himself into the mix and getting significant snap counts in practice.
Jaxson Dart, Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard are in at least their second or third fall camp while Sanders is his fifth. None of what transpires in August is new to them but it is a different story for Simmons.
The 17-year-old freshman should be starting his junior season of high school back at Moore Haven. Instead he is nearly a week into his first college training camp.
“He’s done a good job. Really mature for his age,” Kiffin said of Simmons. “Really mature, on and off the field. He’s progressed really well.”
Encouraging words from the Ole Miss head coach and teammates to some of the young stars as fall camp moves into its second week.
