Reflections on Ole Miss players who caught our eye in spring training
Reflecting on a slow morning on spring training for the most anticipated Ole Miss football team, I believe, since Chad Kelly was under center taking the Rebels to a Sugar Bowl almost a decade ago, there were several things that stood out that may not have been exposed enough.
Some of this will undoubtedly be regurgitation of some factoids, but we think they are worth repeating.
While we were rightly praising the likes of Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins out wide, we didn’t emphasize enough the impact of two younger wideouts who have taken a major step in their development.
They were able to advance, in part, due to transfer portal wideout Juice Wells being in a walking boot after surgery sometime in January and Watkins missing a couple of days with minor injury.
We’re talking about, of course, sophomores Cayden Lee and Ayden Williams. Lee is not very big at 5-11 175 pounds, but he has a lot of traits recently graduated Dayton Wade had as a Rebel. He’s got quick acceleration coming out of breaks or after a reception, he makes the difficult catch look routine and he’s acutely aware of how to find cracks in the coverage to get himself open.
As much as Lee showed out in spring, Williams probably impressed us more because, to be blunt, we weren’t expecting as much. Even though he was in black, indicating no contact, during spring, Ayden – at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds – started showing why he was a top recruit. It took a year for him to gain control of his assignments in the Ole Miss offense, but in spring you could see the difference in that he exuded confidence and started imposing his will on defensive backs with his size, strength, decisiveness and knowledge.
For our money, he was the most obviously improved player on the offense even though Lee – also deserving – received that spring award. We wouldn’t argue about either, but it had to be one of them for sure.
Ole Miss WR Cayden Lee (Photo credit: Ole Miss Athletics)
We realize it’s been a long, tedious, disheartening at times, road for tight end Hudson Wolfe, but we’d buy stock in the 6-foot-7, 230-pound junior. In spring, he was barely a click behind senior starter Caden Prieskorn in every way. Wolfe is as fast, if not faster, than Prieskorn, he’s got excellent hands like Prieskorn and he’s as good a technician in the blocking game as his older mentor.
The Rebel coaches brought in Virginia Tech transfer tight end Dae’Quan Wright and promising freshman Dillon Hipp as quality additions to that room, but it was already stout with Prieskorn and Wolfe. If Hudson can stay healthy, it says here he will make a major jump in 2024 and the coaches didn’t bring Wright in to sit on the bench. The tight end position will have an effective three-heard monster that will be difficult to deal with, especially as much as Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis like to use the tight ends.
Of the Washington offensive line transfers, Nate Kalepo was supposed to be the best with Julius Buelow being real good, but not as good as Kalepo. In spring, we keep hearing, Buelow, who played right tackle in Micah Pettus’ absence due to postseason surgery, shined more than Kalepo. Nate had a good spring as well, at left guard, but Buelow was the surprise of spring on the offensive line. At 6-8 315 pounds, he is certainly an imposing figure.
On the defensive side of the ball, it looks as if Ole Miss, for now at least, is finished with the squatty, undersized linebackers who have been prominent in the Rebels defense recently. The smallest who appears to be in the rotation now is senior Khari Coleman at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. T.J. Dudley, ‘Pooh’ Paul, Raymond Collins and Tyler Banks are all 230 pounds or more and they are all good athletes.
Although contact was limited, the OL and DL bumped heads a lot in shoulder pads and helmets and trust us when we say this – defensive tackle Walter Nolen is as good as advertised. With a quick, explosive first step Nolen gets on offensive linemen quickly and with his power, if he gets a quick advantage, it’s over. He will draw plenty of double teams this fall, he will still make plays and he will take some heat off the linebackers, freeing them to make plays. He will also make J.J. Pegues and Zxavian Harris better when they are teamed with Nolen.
With the influx of several defensive backs in the 6-foot-1, 195-pound range, the safeties and corners have an overall better look to them – lean, long, athletic. You will see the difference when they line up this fall. Key Lawrence, Trey Amos, Yam Banks, Louis Moore, Travaris Banks and Brandon Turnage to go along with Chris Graves, John Saunders, Jr. and Trey Washington, and new addition Isaiah Hamilton, have the chance to be formidable in the Ole Miss secondary.
As we have said before, this is a stacked roster, but the players listed in this piece, some anticipated, some not, stack it that much more.
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