Kiffin: Ole Miss ‘set back a bit’ by injuries, especially at receiver
Ole Miss football is already in game-week mode.
The Rebels are in their fourth week of preseason camp and open their expectations-filled 2024-25 season against Furman on August 31.
They won a program-record 11 games last season.
“Got into a little bit of game-planning (Monday) as if we were in-season so we can start working on the opener,” now-fifth-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said. “Also get players used to that schedule and how that works. At the same time, the next two days we’ll still have some camp-like segments of practice of doing both. Good to turn a leaf of working on someone else and having service teams to do that.”
Kiffin noted how the Rebels seemed to have an extra pep in their step.
“Felt like guys’ attention picked up a little bit going over the opponent’s step charts and things like that,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do.”
Kiffin doesn’t disclose injury information publicly.
But a player in a black jersey at practice indicates he’s no-contact, injury designation.
Those players as of last report on Friday: WRs Tre Harris, Juice Wells, Jordan Watkins and Devin Price; DBs Brandon Turnage and Louis Moore; OL Caleb Warren and Eli Acker; and DEs Princely Umanmielen and DeeJay Holmes Jr.
Harris is a preseason All-American. Ole Miss was ranked last week preseason No. 6 by Pro Football Focus, the highest such ranking for the Rebels since 1970.
“I’ve had a number of players miss time offensively lately, especially receiver,” Kiffin said. “That’s maybe set us back a little bit, but we anticipate those guys coming back and moving forward.”
Kiffin, Turnage and Washington transfer Nate Kalepo all met the media after practice on Monday. The included video was provided by Ole Miss Sports Production.
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