School: Ole Miss
HEAD COACH: Lane Kiffin (6th year, 44-18; overall 105-52)
2024 RECORD: 10-3 overall, 5-3 (T 4th in SEC)
RETURNING STARTERS: Offense – 3; Defense – 2, Special Teams – 0
PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Austin Simmons, RB Kewan Lacy, WR Harrison Wallace III, TE Dae’Quan Wright, DE Kam Franklin, DT Will Echoles, LB Suntarine Perkins, S Sage Ryan
VERSUS GEORGIA: Oct. 18 (Sanford Stadium)
How will Austin Simmons do replacing Jaxon Dart?
The Rebels are losing a first-round pick in Dart, but they also like what they have in Simmons.
Georgia had a small taste during last year’s loss in Oxford, as the former redshirt freshman completed 5 of 6 passes for 64 yards, leading a touchdown drive against the Bulldogs.
Simmons won’t be short of targets.
To make sure of that, Ole Miss dipped into the transfer portal to snag De/Zhaun Stribling (Oklahoma State) and Harrison Wallace III (Penn State), to go along with top returning receiver Cayden Lee, who caught 57 passes for 874 yards last year.
Can the Rebels replace their defensive line production?
The Rebels boasted one of the top defensive fronts in the SEC last year.
Walter Nolen, JJ Pegues, Princely Umanmielen, Jared Ivey, and Sundarine Perkins were almost unstoppable.
So, what about this year?
Of the group, Perkins is the lone returnee, meaning Ole Miss will lean on some touted recruits like Kam Franklin, Will Echoles, and Jamarious Brown, along with transfers Da’Shaun Womack and Princewil Umanmielen.
Will there be a drop-off? Kiffin hopes not.
Can Ole Miss avoid the "trap" game?
Last year, that was certainly a problem.
Ole Miss was flying high after its 28-10 win over Georgia, only to lose the next week at Florida, 24-17.
That loss kept the Rebels out of the College Football Playoffs.
This year, Ole Miss his helped by the fact that five of its first six games are at home, including key SEC matchups against Arkansas and LSU.
But then it gets tougher.
Following a non-conference tilt against Washington State (Oc. 11), back-to-back road games at Georgia (Oct. 18) and Oklahoma (Oct. 25) followed by a home game against South Carolina (Nov. 1) could well decide the season for the Rebels.
