How Ole Miss' mentality changes as one of the 'hunted' in college football in 2024

The expectations for Ole Miss are as high as they’ve been in quite some time in Oxford and beyond ahead of the 2024 season. As the Rebels have returned a majority of their key difference makers from a season ago and added a haul of proven players through the transfer portal as well this offseason.

Ole Miss will now head into the season as more of the hunted versus being a hunter in the SEC and the entire country for many years, which OM Spitit‘s Zach Berry recently discussed with On3’s Andy Staples.

“I think that’s one of the bigger things about the experience and the ‘older player’ that Ole Miss has targeted out of the portal,” Berry said. “I think I went down the line and looked at it, outside of Amorion Walker the corner from Michigan, pretty much everybody in this portal class are experienced dudes that have played. Started at least a full year or played multiple years.”

The Rebels achieved their second double-digit win season last year under Lane Kiffin in his four years at the helm, but have yet to break through to the SEC Championship game or the College Football Playoff. Which some are now expecting in 2024 given the expansion of the 12-team CFP and Ole Miss bringing in the No.3 ranked transfer portal class according to On3’s 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

“So yeah, the expectation of hey we’re no longer the underdog, we are the hunted now. I think Ole Miss, they were the hunted for most of last year, but you’re still [not] the Alabama, the Georgia. No one expects you to get it done, you’re not expected to win this game. It’s just hey, free shot. That was the term that was used all the time with Ole Miss when they were the spunky underdog,” Berry explained.

Kiffin has yet to beat Alabama during his time in Oxford. But with head coach Nick Saban retiring and Ole Miss bringing in 17 transfers this offseason, many of whom are proven players within the SEC, he’ll have as good of a chance as ever to beat the Crimson Tide and everyone else on their 2023 schedule.

But the question is can Ole Miss’ combination of returning starters and new talent coincide and meet the new, lofty expectations that have been placed on them? Only time will tell.

“Now you’re getting some early preseason odds to win it all, so how do they manage those expectations in the locker room and staying up every week with some of those SEC games that you might be a 9,5, 10-point favorite?” Berry asked.