4. Ole Miss Rebels (9-3, 5-3)
The Rebels are never boring, but the team it plans to field in 2023 may not be dynamic enough to take the next step that Lane Kiffin wants to take. Once again, the Rebels have raided the transfer portal for instant help, but the biggest transfer of them all is Pete Golding, who went from being Alabama’s defensive coordinator to DC for Ole Miss. He will have his work cut out for him.
Rankings (Ex, Vg, Av, Fr, Pr)
| Quarterbacks: Av Running Backs: Vg Wide Receivers: Av Offensive Line: Av | Defensive Line: Av Linebackers: Fr Defensive Backs: Fr Special Teams: Vg |
Offense: What could go right
The running back group is sound, and while there might not be a ton of explosiveness in the wide receiver corps, Ole Miss has solid depth there and a good bit of experience. There’s enough talent present at these two position groups to allow the Rebels to get the quarterback decision right. Jaxson Dart returns as the starter, but he will be pushed by Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders. The issue for both players is the interception count, which needs to decrease for both of them. The offensive line is blue-collar but can be good enough.
Offense: What could go wrong
It became clear early in 2022 that Dart wasn’t going to be a stud after transferring in from USC; now the question is whether Ole Miss can succeed with him just being who he is. Outside of RB Quinshon Judkins, there isn’t a lot of pop to the offense, which has to frustrate the swashbuckling Kiffin. The offensive line was surprisingly poor at keeping defensive linemen out of the backfield on running downs last year, ranking 99th in tackles for loss allowed, which will cut into Judkins’ effectiveness if not fixed.
Defense: What could go right
Pass defense wasn’t statistically bad in 2022, but a lot of that was due to Ole Miss choosing to play six defensive backs in its base package. Some Alabama fans will chuckle at this, but the thing that could go right the most for the Rebels is Pete Golding bringing some sanity back to the Rebels’ systems. Golding is good at drawing up schemes, and he’ll be able to lean a bit on a veteran secondary. The linebackers could be better than advertised.
Defense: What could go wrong
The front seven wasn’t good last year and is being rebuilt in 2023. Ole Miss lacks depth at tackle and while the Rebels were adept at getting to the quarterback a year ago, they had to take too many chances to do it. And while the linebackers could be better than advertised, it could also go the other way in a heartbeat. If all-everything true freshman Suntarine Perkins can’t break through early, Ole Miss will have to make do with a unit that is undersized and not as dynamic as its peers.
One-sentence summary: Kiffin will need his full back of tricks to keep the Rebels in the hunt.
We have Ole Miss at 9-3 and that’s probably the absolute upper end of the range for this Rebel team. The offense could be special if Dart or Sanders can keep turnovers and mistakes to a minimum. The defense is a problem until it proves otherwise.
NEXT: 5. Arkansas Razorbacks