What are the intriguing questions to be answered about the Ole Miss offense in August camp?

As good as the Ole Miss roster looks on paper, there are still some lingering questions left over from spring training about the Rebel offense and defense that will have to be answered in August camp.

Today, let’s look at the “loose ends” on the Ole Miss offense. Part 1.

Some will seem trivial, but teams don’t reach championship level with noticeable question marks, big or small. Everything on the ship has to be tightened up and battened down for lofty goals to be met.

Who will end up being the starters on the offensive line and will offensive line coach John Garrison have liberal substitution patterns to keep everyone fresh in a fast-paced, tempo offense?

There can be no assumptions made as to who the top five players are on the offensive line. There is just too much “equal” talent. Garrison is going to have some tough decisions to make.

We have certainly broached this subject before, but for a refresher course, take a look at the viable candidates. One would have to believe the top eight are Jeremy James, Jayden Williams, Micah Pettus and Caleb Warren, all returning with beaucoup of experience, and transfer offensive linemen Diego Pounds, Nate Kalepo, Julius Buelow and Gerquan Scott.

What makes this a hard decision is that Garrison did not get to see much of Pounds and Scott in spring camp and it was hard to make a comparison with Pettus versus any of the newcomers because he was not available in spring either.

But we have gotten word this summer that when Scott was available, he impressed the coaches and with the Washington duo of Kalepo and Buelow getting a lot of work, they have stated their case for inclusion of the top five. Finally, we don’t know how Pounds plays, but he certainly looks the part at 6-6 330 pounds.

The last part of the question we will answer with a question, which is really no answer at all, but with those guys available – plus Eli Acker, Reece McIntyre and Brycen Sanders, to name a few more viable options – why wouldn’t Garrison substitute freely?

How will Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith handle the stable of backs he has now?

We have heard rumblings of a three-headed monster like three years back when Henry Parrish, Jr., Jerrion Ealy and Snoop Conner basically split carries. All stayed fresh and relatively injury free the whole season and all three showed the opposing defenses a different look.

With a similar makeup as that year with the 2024 backs, a trio attack would seem to make some sense. Parrish is back in the fold with two more seasons under his belt in which he was the leading Miami rusher. Ulysses Bentley IV is healthy now after missing spring after toe surgery and he will certainly be the speed element of the current trio. Plus do not let Bentley fool you – he has powerful legs and is capable of YAC yards.

Looking to perhaps fill Conner’s spot will be Rashad Amos, the biggest of the backs at 6-2 235 pounds. Will he have the burst Snoop did, we don’t know, but he will certainly have the power element.

And what of Matt Jones? Yes, he’s smallish but we’ve had smallish accomplish good, sometimes great, things before with guys like Dexter McCluster and Willie Goodloe and Ealy, for that matter.

Tomorrow, offensive questions that have to be answered about the tight ends and wideouts.

Stay tuned. . . .

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