Five Ole Miss players who could take the 2023 season from good to great

The 2023 season is one that feels important for Ole Miss football in a lot of different ways. Coming off an eight-win campaign in 2022 that felt more like a six-win season when all was said and done the desire for a quick turnaround a year later is strong.

How Ole Miss might be able to have a eight, nine or even 10-win season that feels better than what the program felt last December involves several factors. Most importantly the success will come down to the play on the field from goal line to goal line for 12 Saturdays.

Players of course are the ones who will be the driving force in either a second straight lackluster season in Lane Kiffin‘s first four seasons or a return to the type of season where Ole Miss got back to the New Year’s Six in 2021.

Who might be the players that can help make this fall go from mediocre and good to great? Some easy candidates and notable players and maybe some not so expected contributions could be in the mix.

Lets take a look at who those player are

JAXSON DART

This is one of those low-hanging fruit options and obvious guesses for Ole Miss to have a strong season.

The quarterback position is key to any offense being successful but for the Rebels it is paramount that Dart take that second year jump under Kiffin. All eyes are on Dart starting with fall camp this week to see if he can carry over the individual momentum he created in the back half of the season in his own game.

Motivation should not be hard to manufacture but if it needs to be for Dart then he should look no further than his own position room that is very, very crowded with talent. A healthy Spencer Sanders’ presence is more than enough for Dart to want to hit a new gear and play at a higher level from the jump.

If Dart hits that other gear came late September when conference play begins then Ole Miss could be in very good shape the final two months of the season.

QUINSHON JUDKINS

Again, a no-brainer of a guess.

As Judkins goes so will the Ole Miss offense this year, regardless of who the quarterback is or how the play at that position is faring. The ground game is where the offense will have to start and thrive to open up a passing game that will be trying to find itself early in the year.

The reigning Southeastern Conference rush king is set to defend his crown and earn another title while Arkansas running back Raheim Sanders is breathing down his neck once more.

Can Judkins surpass his near 1,600-yard mark in the sophomore campaign and flirt with 2,000? That all depends on the workload needed and the willingness of Judkins to want the ball for a larger amount of carries — the answer to the second part of that scenario is he will take the ball every time.

But a 2,000-yard season, or at least rushing for one will do nothing but make the offense move down the field at a fast tempo and help tire the opposing defenses. Another item in the recipe for a successful season.

CEDRIC JOHNSON

The Ole Miss defensive line is a seasoned as it has been up and down the depth chart in a while. This room is deep on paper but is going to have to prove itself on the field.

One player that is going to be watched closely is Johnson who is once again fully healthy after the 2022 season had him playing basically with one good arm. Now he is entering fall camp at 100 percent and once again putting lofty goals and pressure on his shoulders.

There is plenty of talent along the defensive line but Johnson needs to hit a high-level mode where he is playing at an elite level. In a new defense scheme under first-year coordinator Pete Golding having all the key cogs working in sync and reaching ultimate potential requires Johnson reaching the goals he set for himself a year ago.

SUNTARINE PERKINS

Unfair? Maybe. A necessary pick? Absolutely.

Ole Miss has the top Mississippi prospect on defense of the last recruiting cycle on its roster and the five-star player in Perkins looks day one ready.

There cannot be the pomp and circumstance surrounding a player and not have them be impact players on the field immediately into their career. Perkins fits squarely at the top of this category.

Set to be cornerstone of the Ole Miss linebackers Perkins should be at the top or at least in the mix of the two-man depth chart come the start of fall camp this week.

There are newcomers in Monty Montgomery and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste who arrived at Ole Miss via the transfer portal that should have early precedence over Perkins just off experience alone. But over the four weeks of preseason camp should see just where Perkins is going to settle among them and the two returners in Khari Coleman and Ashanti Cistrunk.

But Perkins is going to have to be a major player this season for Ole Miss to have that great year.

Michael Trigg

This season is important for Trigg individually as much as it is for the entire Ole Miss team.

Last year was an abysmal one for Trigg, subtracting the injury from the equation, who arrived in Oxford with a lot of hope and excitement around him similar to Dart. The 2022 campaign was just one not to write home about for the tight end outside of a three-touchdown game early in the season against a Central Arkansas defense.

Trigg needs to have a large jump on the field and has the ability to do so now with Caden Prieskorn in the locker room. The need for Trigg to be a blocking tight end is not as strong now with Preiskorn’s frame and the former can focus more on the production on offense.

An Ole Miss passing game that a lot of bodies but is going to need to find star players could benefit greatly from Trigg taking the baton and becoming that guy. If the Rebels get two strong efforts at the tight end position then the offense could take off to new heights in 2023.

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