These players have most to gain as Ole Miss football, Lane Kiffin prepare for spring practices

OXFORD — Ole Miss football has made it its business to acquire finished products. Coach Lane Kiffin was among the first to embrace the transfer portal, and has continued to use it to acquire talent more consistently than any of his peers.

Still, the Rebels, like any other college football program, depend on developing talent.

With an eye toward spring practice – for which no start date has yet been announced – these are the Ole Miss players with the most to gain in the build-up to 2024.

DE/LB Suntarine Perkins

Even after spending the winter collecting a handful of defensive players with elite pedigrees, there are very few – if any ‒ players on the Ole Miss roster more athletic than Suntarine Perkins.

In an effort to simplify things for the freshman and get him on the field in 2023, coordinator Pete Golding deployed Perkins ‒ a high school linebacker ‒ mostly in an edge-rushing role.

“I think he has flexibility in the position with the spring and another summer,” Golding said at the Peach Bowl. “Obviously you’ll see him at different spots. Being that athletic, he’s very versatile. He’ll give us the ability to play him in multiple spots. With the spring and the summer, I think you’ll see that.”

The Rebels have less depth at the more traditional linebacker spots than they do on the edge, where they added Florida standout Princely Umanmielen.

If Perkins takes a step forward this offseason, maybe he can impact both spots.

RB Kedrick Reescano

Freshman running back Kedrick Reescano played enough on special teams to burn his redshirt in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus snap count data. But he didn’t receive any carries on offense with Quinshon Judkins and Ulysses Bentley IV carrying most of the load.

Bentley is back for one last go-around in 2024, but there’s some uncertainty on the Rebels’ running back depth chart…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/players-most-gain-ole-miss-110124700.html

Author : The Clarion Ledger

Publish date : 2024-02-14 11:01:24

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