When it comes to Trey Washington and the Ole Miss secondary, communication is key
Communication is the foundation to success in football on both sides of the but when it comes to defense and Ole Miss in particular it cannot be valued any higher.
There are so many new faces, coaches and coordinator within the Ole Miss defense this fall that it is the one group that has head coach Lane Kiffin both excited and worried at the same time.
But ask safety Trey Washington and he will tell you that, yes, communication is key but that it is going very smooth in a fall camp of transition under first year coordinator Pete Golding.
“To be honest I haven’t had a problem learning the defense,” Washington said. “Once you learn it individually you have to learn how to communicate with teammates. So, learning to communicate and making sure everybody’s on the same page. That’s something we have to work on, for sure.”
Working on communicating in the secondary as well as grasping the new scheme under Golding is not overwhelming to Washington. But being in the position room that had the highest roster turnover on defense is making things a little more challenging over the four weeks of camp.
The load is not too heavy for Washington who is entering his third season at Ole Miss and now a veteran in the secondary.
“Everybody’s communicating,” Washington said. “Everybody’s communicating and making sure we’re executing the call well.”
Last season Washington was in the middle of the pack on defense when it came to tackles with 31, playing in all 13 games. He also one interception.
Coming off the most production of his career at Ole Miss Washington entered the offseason and summer with boxes he wanted to check heading into the 2023 season.
“After the season I kind of looked over the season and I loved the growth from freshman to the sophomore year,” Washington said. “Now that I’m a junior it’s kind of time to step up in the leadership role and make sure I’m pulling people with me.”
Related: Now-linebacker Ladarius Tennison likes everything about new Ole Miss defense under Pete Golding
When it comes to Golding’s presence at Ole Miss Washington is another defensive player who is high on their coordinator.
Coming from Alabama after five seasons in Tuscaloosa it is energy that Ole Miss players are noticing as the biggest change on their side of the ball.
The pedigree of Golding’s is the next thing players reference when asked this fall about having him on the staff.
“I really like how professional (Golding) is,” Washington said. “It’s all work day-in-and-day-out to make sure we’re on the same page.”
Aside from Golding Ole Miss has a new position coaches on defense with Keynodo Hudson and Wes Neighbors III. Washington’s praise for them is just as high as it is for Golding.
“I think our coaching staff is versatile,” Washington said. “That’s the thing I love. Coach Neighbors, he’s kind of laid back so we can kind of chill, but we still working. With coach Hudson, he’s more riled up and getting people going. So, I think those make a great coaching staff for us on the back end.”
