Ole Miss Training Camp Insider: Spencer Sanders (academics) misses practice

Ole Miss resumed practice Friday in shoulder pads and helmets after a day of full pads on Thursday.

There will be a closed scrimmage tomorrow (Saturday). So, full contact was not warranted a day before the first game-like workout.

The Rebel defense seems to have a lot of quality players battling for playing time and the depth of the defense is starting to look very good. The first two defensive lines seem almost settled because there has not been any change in more than a week. DE – Jared Ivey, Jamond Gordon; DT – J.J. Pegues, Stephon Wynn/Akelo Stone; DT – Joshua Harris, Zxavian harris; DE – Cedric Johnson, Isaac Ukwu.

The main safeties that seem like, at this juncture, they will get playing time are Isheem Young, Trey Washington, DaiJahn Anthony, John Saunders, Taylor Groves and when he is cleared from injury, transfer Teja Young. True freshman Daniel Demery is “flashing” but he’s still got some ground to make up mentally to catch the others.

The corners look to be Deantre Prince and DeShawn Gaddie and Zamari Walton and Demarko Williams with true frosh A.J. Brown and sophomore Richard O’Bryant trying to break into playing time.

The linebacker situation seems more crowded, but right now it looks as if six are the top candidates for game action. Monty Montgomery appears to be a lock as one starter but beyond him, it’s a free-for-all involving Ladarius Tennison, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Ashanti Cistrumk, Khari Coleman, and true frosh Suntarine Perkins, who looks to be moving up the food chain rapidly.

A decent illustration of the depth on the Ole Miss football team can be seen on the kickoff team. . . .

. . . .with a mix of starters and backups. S DaiJahn Anthony, S Isheem Young, S Trey Washington, LB Ashanti Cistrunk, LB Suntaine Perkins, DE Reginald Hughes, S John Saunders, LB Tyler Banks, LB Ladarius Tennison and CB Jarell Stinson were taking first team duties in the latest kickoff coverage drills.

Both PK Caden Costa and transfer PK Caden Davis were kicking off and from our viewpoint, it looked as if Davis was hitting ball a little deeper than Costa with similar hang time.

The major returners we have seen work on kickoffs are WR Jordan Watkins, WR Ayden Williams and RB Ulysses Bentley IV.

PHOTOS: Ole Miss football nears end of Week 2 of preseason training camp

Texas A&M transfer kicker Caden Davis

The injury list seems to be growing as the hot workout days roll on toward the opening game. . . .

. . . . The newest members to the injury list are LB Ladarius Tennison, who was having a very good fall camp. He was seen a walking boot today, but was not at practice. Linebacker Khari Coleman, as reported yesterday, is not at practice either. RBs Matt Jones and Ulysses Bentley IV are in black jerseys denoting injured. WR Larry Simmons is also in black, struggling with a groin injury.

Nothing new, but S Teja Young, WR Jordan Watkins, WR Zakhari Franklin and Center Caleb Warren were also in black again.

Ole miss Quarterback Spencer Sanders did not practice Friday. We were told he is working on his academics and is not injured.

Walker Howard took over the second-team reps with Sanders absent. He moved the Rebel offense decently in the limited time the media was allowed to watch.

Tight End Hudson Wolfe, we have been told, is cleared to play. Full go, full contact, but in practice he is being handled a little more delicately than other players. Not as much contact yet, not as many reps.

A couple of depth chart notes include Zxaxian Harris, the tight end situation, wide receiver and linebacker. . . .

DT Zxavian Harris was with the number one Ole Miss defense Friday in full team drills in place of Joshua Harris. That is an indication to us that Zxavian’s legal issues are behind him, fingers crossed.

With Tennison out, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste got the number one reps at linebacker. He was joined by Monty Montgomery.

With Watkins, Franklin and Simmons out, Bralon Brown, J.J.Henry and Jeremiah Dillon are getting an opportunity to move up the ladder.

With Bentley and Matt Jones MIA, new addition Jam Griffin is getting more reps in the learning process.

As we reported a couple of days ago, Zxavian has lost about 30 pounds and is now at 301. He wants to put back about 15 pounds on the 6-7 frame. Brown, Dillon and Henry are making plays. However, how much of a move they have made is uncertain at this point.

Jam looks like a fireplug at 5-9 210 pounds and he has good quickness and adequate speed. Jean-Baptiste has worked with the first team a lot, so that is nothing new to him. But recently Tennison had been getting more reps with the ones.

The only other real battle for starting is between LG Eli Acker and Victor Curne. Right now, it looks as if Acker has the edge. He’s been with the ones quite a bit more than Curne, but Vic is pushing hard.

The media have access to Saturday’s scrimmage but it is closed to the public.

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