The praise is coming in early for the Ole Miss football team ahead of what many are expecting to be a historic season for head coach Lane Kiffin and company.
Coming in at No. 6 in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll is a Rebel squad looking to make history in year one of an expanded College Football Playoff model. After loading up on players from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal while returning a cast of veteran production, early polls are buying what Kiffin is selling.
When Ole Miss kicks off the regular season versus Furman just 26 days from now, the Rebels, coming off of the first 11-win season in program history, will feature a decorated signal-caller in Jaxson Dart, a seasoned stable of running backs punctuated by Ulysses Bentley IV’s presence, a proven wide receiver corps highlighted by Tre Harris, a stout tight ends room spotlighted by Caden Prieskorn, and a revamped offensive line built to hold things down in the trenches.
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On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Pete Golding managed to pull some strings and land some of the most talented prospects from the portal and a group of highly-touted high school players. The defensive line will be led by Jared Ivey, J.J. Pegues, and top-ranked transfer Walter Nolen. Linebackers will be represented by Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr., and Suntarine Perkins, while the secondary will consist of a talented pool underlined by Trey Amos and John Saunders, Jr.
Not only will the offense and defense take the field with a plethora of experience, but the special teams will also be returning a unit led by veterans in punter Fraser Masin and kicker Caden Davis.
A program that has yet to appear in the playoff, Kiffin is looking to strike while the iron is hot and have the Rebels among the field of powerhouse programs competing for a national championship and the experts seem to think it’s a reality.
The full top 25 includes:
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Oregon
- Texas
- Alabama
- Ole Miss
- Notre Dame
- Michigan
- Penn State
- Florida State
- Missouri
- LSU
- Utah
- Clemson
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
- Kansas State
- Oklahoma State
- Miami
- Texas A&M
- Arizona
- NC State
- USC
- Kansas
- Iowa
Mississippi State and Southern Miss did not receive any top-25 votes.
Pair of Bulldogs, horde of Rebels named preseason All-SEC by College Football Network
