Practice Leftovers: Ole Miss health situation is a good one. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
Ole Miss football opened training camp on Wednesday.
But so far it’s been more ballet than football.
Well, except in the trenches, because there has not been full contact or full pads – yet. Even so, a lot was learned about this 2023 Rebel squad in our first two days of watching the team develop.
First and foremost, the health of the team is relatively good, especially since the players who missed spring due to health issues are back full-go. Those include some key pieces to the team – RG Jeremy James, LT Jayden Williams, WR Tre Harris, WR Jordan Watkins, DE Cedric Johnson and WR Dayton Wade, to name the most prolific.
Even QB Spencer Sanders.
Sanders struggled with a shoulder issue most of the spring training. He looks to be healthy this fall.
He is throwing the football with authority. Of the four quarterbacks, Sanders looks to have the strongest arm at this point, but all four have good SEC arms.
Center Caleb Warren is missing some time right now, but he will be back in action soon we were told. Nothing major. S Teja Young, a transfer from FAU, is in a black jersey, but he seems to be moving around OK. Safety Jadon Canady is also in black, and he’s moving well too, but he’s not participating in any non-contact drills yet. WR Zakhari Franklin, who just got on campus about a week ago and had to have his knee scoped, was first seen Thursday night, dressed out, but not doing any activities.
Overall, it’s a good situation with the health of the squad at this juncture.
Fingers crossed it stays that way.
We are asked repeatedly who is the fastest player on the team . . .
. . . but the Rebels don’t give out any type of speed/strength information. However, there’s always banter among team members about that subject.
It seems the majority believe sophomore Cornerback Jarrell Stinson is the swiftest, but others think it could be RB Ulysses Bentley, IV, WR Jeremiah Dillon or WR Larry Simmons. There are probably other “candidates” for fastest Rebel.
Those are the names, though, that are mentioned most.
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Ole Miss linebacker Tyler Banks (34) stands behind first-year Rebel defensive coordinator Pete Golding at practice this week. (CREDIT: Bruce Newman)
A number of reserves stick out as “looking the part” of SEC football players . . .
. . . and chief among them is Ole Miss sophomore Linebacker Tyler Banks.
He has the look (6-3, 235 pounds) everyone wants. Big arms, big lower body and very little body fat. He’s currently trying to break into the rotation at a crowded position. He’s contending with, to name a handful, Monty Montgomery, Khari Coleman, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Ashanti Cistrunk and freshman Suntarine Perkins.
Freshman Defensive Tackle Jamarious Brown also has a quality frame. At 6-3 285 pounds, Brown has blacksmith arms and a strong lower body. He will only get bigger and stronger.
Freshman Running Back Kedrick Reescano is put together nicely for an SEC running back. He draws a lot of comparisons to last year’s Quinshon Judkins in the way he looks – strong legs, mature upper body.
It says here he will help the team this year.
Freshman QB Austin Simmons (6-3, 195 pounds) is a little coltish right now.
Still, it’s easy to see when he fills out a little more he will have the look coaches like in their signal caller.
Freshman Wide Receiver Ayden Williams is long and lean and already blends in with the receiver group as a freshman. Williams is an exception to not having broken through yet – he will play a lot this fall.
Ole Miss freshman Offensive Lineman Brycen Sanders appears is being groomed to take over for Caleb Warren at center a year from now. He’s every bit of the listed 6-6 295 pounds. He will be 310 very quickly in his still young career.
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Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons practices on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. (photo by Bruce Newman)
It’s been a long time since the number two offensive line had the quality . . .
. . . of players that this year’s two OL has. These are five guys who can go into a game and not see much drop off from the top OL unit.
Cam East, the Rebel left tackle, is a 6-7 290-pounder who has plenty of talent and a strong future. LG Victor Curne play every position except center and has a lot of Power 5 experience from Washington. Sanders is currently the No. 2 center. He’s going to be a baller when all is said and done.
RG Quincy McGee is mature and ready to step in for starter Jeremy James without a hitch. Junior Cedric Melton is currently at right tackle, a veteran with a decent amount of playing time at guard and a capable tackle.
It’s a solid unit and gives OL Coach John Garrison a lot of options for keeping the first unit fresh, especially in the September and October “hot” games.
After Thursday’s practice, the still-fluid first-team defense held . . .
. . . only a couple of “surprises.” The Ole Miss DEs were Cedric Johnson and Jared Ivey, a given. The DTs were J.J. Pegues and Joshua Harris.
The first day, Stephon Wynn was in Harris’ spot with the ones. The linebackers were Monty Montgomery and Khari Coleman, who replaced Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste from the first practice. The safeties are Trey Washington, Isheem Young and a minor surprise in Daijahn Anthony over John Saunders, Jr., for now. The cornerbacks were no surprise at all – Deantre Prince and Zamari Walton.
The media will be allowed to watch practice again tomorrow, Saturday, August 5.
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