TRANSCRIPT: The Ole Miss Spirit’s All-Day AMA (Ask Me Anything)

The Ole Miss Spirit held its weekly, message-board-exclusive AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Wednesday, with topics ranging from the Rebels’ chances of landing in-state four-star Jamonta Waller to a critical off-season ahead for Ole Miss baseball.

Any and all subscribers are welcome and encouraged to chime in throughout an AMA day. Not a member? Join today! Our next question-and-answer session will be held next week.

But until then, and for the uninitiated, here are some of the highlights.

RebelBagman asked …

Odds on landing Jamonta Waller? Odds on landing Kamarion Franklin? 1-10 scale.

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen):

Waller – 5
Franklin – 6

I’m growing more optimistic on Waller, and Franklin’s just going to take a while. I think Ole Miss is in a great spot, but his feels like a recruitment that’s going to go all the way up to signing day.

RaveReb asked …

With the new additions to the (defensive line) from the portal, does that free up (veteran defensive tackle JJ) Pegues to slide to EDGE? Do we add any more d-linemen from the portal at this point or are we done there?

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): In pass-rush situations, for sure. He was doing a lot of that by the end of last season. Never say never, but I think they feel OK now if this ends up being the group they go into the season with.

Olebrook52 asked …

Do you think (Ole Miss head baseball) Coach (Mike) B(ianco) will add a pitching coach? He has to do something different. When will we know if is contract has been rolled over for another year ?

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): Keith Carter is going to the SEC Meetings in Destin next week. I’m pretty sure they’ll sit down first of June for the end-of-the-year stuff. I doubt he hires a pitching coach. There’s a belief over there Ole Miss was simply crushed by injury and this year was a true outlier.

Now, if next regular season is more of the same? Watch out.

UTSA receiver Zakhari Franklin runs with the ball in the open field during a game on Dec. 2, 2022. (Daniel Dunn / USA TODAY Sports)

Line8896 asked …

Will we get another wide receiver?

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): They’re going to try to get another, but the money has to make sense. As Walker Jones, Grove Collective executive director, told me this week, Ole Miss isn’t always going to write the biggest check. But the Rebels are competitive in pretty much every portal pursuit, including UTSA’s Zakhari Franklin. He’s a totally different wide receiver (read: slot) than Keon Coleman, so the fit would be interesting to follow. But he’s one we know they want.

Macon McClellan asked …

Do you think that within the next 5-10 years that we will get to renovate the football stadium as presented in the champions now graphics? I know it doesn’t entirely matter as long as the team is winning now, no matter what the stadium looks like. However, if we can’t have the biggest stadium, I like the idea of having one of the nicest.

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): No chance. They all but scrapped those plans when NIL blew up. They’re on the back-est of back burners now.

DeltaReb06 asked …

Have you heard any rumblings on the baseball portal? Do you think (Peyton Chatagnier) and (TJ) McCants are back? Are we losing anyone we would want to keep (young pitchers)?

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): I’ve heard some things, but nothing worth reporting yet. I think McCants has a chance to be back, but he really wanted to go pro last year, so if he gets selected in the later rounds I could see him signing and just getting going at this point.

To your last question, no, I don’t see them losing any of the youngsters they want to keep. Ole Miss is one of the few programs in the country spending real NIL dollars on baseball players. If the Rebels want to retain someone, they can/will. Departures off the current roster (or from the 2023 signing class, like Patrick Spencer recently) can mostly be attributed to Ole Miss encouraging those players to look elsewhere.

Ole Miss EDGE target Jamonta Waller (Photo credit: Marina Puhalj-On3)

Harry42Bryant asked …

When is Waller committing to Ole Miss?

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): Baby steps. Let’s make sure he comes in on an official visit first.

OK_Reb asked …

Any update on (Ole Miss basketball assistant) Win Case’s status?

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): Still up in the air. Actually, I think resolving Win’s status is really the only thing holding up Ole Miss from officially announcing the staff. He’s still working and recruiting for Ole Miss.

Oh, and I still expect all-time Ole Miss great Murphy Holloway to join Beard’s staff in some capacity.

Prof asked …

How is (second-year Ole Miss wide receiver) Jeremiah Dillon progressing?

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): He’s finally healthy and had a decent spring, but he’s battling the learning curve right now. He’s very similar to Larry Simmons as far as where he is developmentally, though Simmons is probably a little ahead of him, only because he practiced all last season .

Dillon’s got potential, especially as a speed threat, but I wouldn’t expect much this year. Both he and Simmons need productive summers in the weight room.

UMRebel19 asked …

So we have no intentions to renovate (Vaught-Hemingway Stadium) anymore????

BEN GARRETT (SpiritBen): Eventually? Yes. But not really anytime soon.

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