John Saunders Jr. breaks down how his role has changed at Ole Miss

John Saunders Jr. wasn’t always a safety. In fact, he wasn’t always a Rebel. In a conversation with On3’s Andy Staples, the Ole Miss senior recounted how he landed in his current position with the Rebels.

“The recruiting process for me was totally different,” Saunders said. “I got recruited by a whole different set of coaches. All the coaches that recruited me here are gone. The safeties coach that was here he was he was hinting at me like, ‘I want you to play for me.’ But, the corner coach was like, ‘I want you to play for me.'”

Saunders played cornerback for three seasons at Miami (OH) before transferring to Ole Miss during the past offseason. The 6-foot-2 DB racked up 52 total tackles, 10 pass breakups, two interceptions and one forced fumble last season for the Redhawks.

Obviously, with numbers like that, Saunders was a hot commodity in the transfer portal. While Ole Miss landed him, the staff was an unfamiliar landscape by the time the season began.

Wes Neighbors III, who spent the prior season at Maryland, was named Ole Miss’ safeties coach for the 2023 campaign. Keynodo Hudson took over the cornerbacks after spending the previous two years at Western Kentucky.

John Saunders Jr. succeeds amid change

The pair of coaches aren’t the same faces who initially enticed Saunders to become a Rebel. Nonetheless, they also found a connection with Saunders, particularly Neighbors.

“It was just crazy, honestly,” Saunders said. “Then, when Coach Neighbors got here, me and him, we got a good relationship and I kind of knew I [was] gonna be a safety. I like it because you’re around the ball more than at corner. It’s real active. I enjoy it.”

Saunders has certainly been active this season, tallying 48 tackles, four pass deflections and a team-high three interceptions. His stats aren’t empty. In Ole Miss’ pivotal 38-35 win over Texas A&M last week, Saunders hauled in the game-sealing interception.

After the game, Saunders reflected on the massive moment.

“I was definitely expecting it,” Saunders said. “He was trying to stutter like he was faking blocking but I was prepared for it. They do a lot of tricky stuff in the endzone, trying to play with your eyes and stuff. So I just kept my eyes on the receiver, located the ball and was able to bring it down.

“It means a lot to me, especially coming from a different school. So, coming here and them accepting me, it just, it means a lot. Seeing the locker room after the game, everyone’s ecstatic and happy, it’s just amazing.”

Ole Miss will need Saunders more than ever this weekend. On Saturday, the Rebels will square off against No. 1 Georgia at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.