Greg McElroy calls Ole Miss the 'most dangerous team' in SEC

All eyes are on the powerhouse programs at SEC Media Days. However, Ole Miss is grabbing Greg McElroy’s attention.

“Ole Miss, I really believe this, I think Ole Miss is the most dangerous team in the SEC. Nobody’s talking about them. They have improved, I think, on the defensive side of the football, just with who is going to be calling their defensive plays. So, I do think they’re going to have some leads. I do think there’s going to be some opportunities,” McElroy said on SEC Now at SEC Media Days.

Although the hot take led to laughs from his fellow hosts, McElroy held his ground. The ESPN analyst’s feet are on somewhat solid ground. As McElroy mentioned, the Rebels should be far-improved on the defensive side of the ball.

In the offseason, Ole Miss hired former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding. While with the Crimson Tide, Alabama ranked top-20 in the FBS in scoring defense every year and finished top-10 in either scoring or total defense four times.

These fantastic figures are a far cry from Ole Miss’ defense last season. The team allowed 25.5 points per game, ranking 57th in the nation. In reality, the Rebels’ defense was worse than this statistic shows.

Ole Miss gave up 35 points per game over its final seven contests. This downward spiral directly correlates with the Rebels closing the season with a frustrating 1-5 finish. As for offense, if the Rebels can replicate last season’s success, they’ll find smooth sailing.

“They’re still going to be tempo. They’re still going to run the football, they’re still going to throw the football. If the quarterback play can improve and become a little more consistent,” McElroy said.

If the quarterback play doesn’t improve, head coach Lane Kiffin has options. In the offseason, Ole Miss added Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders and LSU’s Walker Howard. While most insiders don’t expect the fresh faces to start over Jaxson Dart, their threat will undoubtedly motivate the junior QB.

When the Rebels aren’t committing to the air raid, they have First-Team All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins in the backfield. Judkins set Ole Miss’ single-season rushing record last year with 1,567 yards as a true freshman. McElroy speculated Judkins could reach 2,000 yards this season if he plays his cards right.

“Now that you can complement Quinshon Judkins’ run game with the passing attack that Ole Miss is likely to have, this is going to sound crazy, (but) I think 2,000 yards by Quinshon Judkins is within reach,” McElroy said.

Crazy indeed. Nonetheless, Ole Miss fans don’t mind. The Rebels faithful will get to watch their beloved program take the field against Mercer in its season opener on Sept. 2.