What We’re Watching: How will a restructured Ole Miss offensive line come together in spring practices?

Ole Miss opens spring football practices March 22.

And when the Rebels do, a reconfigured offensive line tasked with protecting one of Jaxson Dart or Luke Altmyer at quarterback is sure to command a lot of attention. 

Gone are starters Ben Brown (guard) and Orlando Umana (center). However, Ole Miss returns veterans Nick Broeker, Jeremy James and Caleb Warren, and the Rebels signed Western Kentucky tackle Mason Brooks through the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Broeker, unlike Brown, opted against entering the NFL Draft. He’ll move from left tackle to left guard, and James will slide over from right tackle to replace him. Warren has been shifted from guard to center, while Ole Miss will look to Brooks to anchor the right side. He’ll likely be paired — at least to start — with one of Eli Acker, Cedric Melton or Jayden Williams.

“It’s still playing tackle, but it’s flipping everything, from footwork to hand placement,” James, an exclusive NIL partner of the Ole Miss Spirit, said. He’s sponsored by CanopyNation. Contact them today at 901-805-2860. 

“Everything for me is going to be flipped around — from looking at linebackers to reading defenses. My calls are going to be flipped. It’s going to be me getting on the field and getting with Nick and asking him about left tackle. Spring ball will be big for me. Just going to have to put in the work and figure it out. I’m excited for it. It’s going to be good for me.”

James isn’t necessarily locked in at tackle.

James, a three-year starter, spent his first Ole Miss season at right guard, and he’s never played on the left side before in his football career. Third-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and staff approached him about the move at the end of the season. The Rebels were 10-3 overall, including their 10th all-time appearance in the Sugar Bowl.

Not to mention, Melton and Williams are more natural tackles, and Brooks has the versatility to handle left tackle, too. But, if nothing else, spring is for position battles and the cream rising to the top. 

So, let the games begin.

“We’ll see how it all comes together, but I feel like we’ll have a really good chance of doing something special this year,” James said. “(Ole Miss offensive line) Coach (Jake) Thornton’s told us there’s a lot of experience on the o-line right now, not just with the five projected to start.”

“I’m fired up about it,” Warren, who’s also an exclusive NIL partner of the Spirit, said. He’s sponsored by Booneville Community Pharmacy. They can be reached at 662-728-1951.

“Last spring I played center for a few weeks and kind of got a good feeling for the position. I really enjoyed playing it. It’s different from guard. At center you’ve got control of the whole offense. You’ve got the ball and the ball’s the only thing that matters. You’ve got control of the whole offense, and everybody’s listening to what you’ve got to say. I kind of like that aspect of it.”

Warren is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered last season. 

He underwent surgery, which sidelined him for 12 days, but he returned for the final few games. “There was no going side to side. It was straight forward and back.” While he’s not 100 percent, he’s “getting better.”

“That was probably the most painful injury I’ve had yet to date,” Warren said.

Getting Warren back healthy will be the priority, however, he’ll need time to establish himself as the new captain of the line. His new responsibilities include making all the pre-snap calls — identifying the defensive front and overall alignment, adjusting slide protections and keeping the offense in its tempo.

“I thought maybe even last year that he could have done it,” James said. Ole Miss will close out with the annual Grove Bowl April 23.

“He’s smart enough (and) he understands football. He’s going to be perfect I think. He’s athletic enough. He’s going to be able to run the offensive line. The biggest transition is all mental. He’s got to really get it together with communication and reading defenses and making calls. He’s going to be able to play just fine. I don’t think it’s a real transition skill-wise.”