Injuries starting to pile up for Ole Miss, impacting growth in key skill positions
As usually becomes the case when spring football practices roll around every year the injury bug makes is return into the locker room and Ole Miss is not immune to it this year.
Several key players in key skill groups have missed significant amount of time, including sitting out of the two scrimmages held over the last two weekends. With that, has caused some inability to allow for growth and depth to take its natural course as players are being held out.
On the offensive side of the ball the most notable absence for the entirety of spring is Jonathan Mingo who has not participated at all in the contact portion of practices or the two scrimmages.
Joining Mingo this past Saturday as having not participated were wide outs Jalen Knox and Jordan Watkins. Two weeks ago Watkins was one of the more popular targets for quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer. Having three receivers out this past weekend hurt in trying to continue to evolve the playbook.
Tight ends Michael Trigg and Casey Kelly were both absent from practice for the bulk of it on Saturday but were spotted on the sideline. Neither participated.
“Lot of injuries for whatever reason, especially on offensively skilled,” said head coach Lane Kiffin following Tuesday’s practice. “That affected production in the scrimmage. Receivers and especially tight ends. We really shouldn’t have any, so that’s made it challenging but we’re just pushing through.
Kiffin noted that none of the injuries appear to be long term and should be players they get back sooner rather than later.
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Injuries are not just exclusive to the offense. There are key players, including a couple newcomers, who have not participated much or at all this spring.
Linebackers Troy Brown and Austin Keys are still working their way back from injuries and have been absent. They are not the only ones as safeties Isheem Young is out as is Otis Reese.
Depth seems to be okay in the secondary, for now, with A.J. Finley, Tysheem Johnson, Derek Bermudez and M.J. Daniels are taking heavy snaps and rotations. Though, getting Reese back will help with experience and Young will be basically brand new when he can start doing workouts in the summer and then fall camp in August.
The biggest concern for Kiffin continues to be the injuries at linebacker and the lack of depth that is being produced there. Not having Brown or Keys available has hurt in those regards.
“We’ve battle some injuries there. That’s very big concern (with depth) for us,” Kiffin said. “A lot of new guys. I mean, really, basically your four guys that played significant snaps there are gone at two spots, because we only played two spots. That’s a big challenge for us.”
It is not a depleted position group by any means with Ashanti Cistrunk, Reginald Hughes and Khari Coleman are benefiting with getting plenty of snaps. Cistrunk picked off Dart during Saturday’s scrimmage.
