LOOK: A peak behind the curtain at Ole Miss’ first week of spring football practices
The Ole Miss Rebels opened spring football with a pair of light practices this week.
They’ll take spring break off before picking back up on Tuesday, March 19, which will serve as the media’s first viewing availability. The annual Grove Bowl spring game is scheduled for April 13. Early rumblings indicate fifth-year head coach Lane Kiffin will format the Grove Bowl in a similar fashion to the NFL’s Pro Bowl Games.
Ole Miss, last season, won 11 games for the first time in program history, including a Peach Bowl takedown of Penn State. The Peach Bowl was the Rebels’ second New Year’s Six, and fourth straight bowl, under Kiffin.
“I don’t care what people say,” Kiffin said earlier this week. “You get a super-talented, great, elite, talented team, they can be lesser players out of culture. Culture is very important.
“Now it’s more important to redo your culture every year because your roster is turning over. Half your roster is turning over. We have so many pieces coming back and really good leadership, but we’re not banking on that. We’re just restarting and this team is 0-0.
“Everybody in this program, from myself to the quarterback, is 0-0. That’s how we’ve restarted this thing.”
Ole Miss brought in 31 mid-year enrollees.
Seventeen came from other Division I schools.
The Rebels also return 60 letter-winners from their historic 2023-24 campaign. Ole Miss finished as college football’s No. 9 team — its highest final slotting in the Associated Press poll since 1969.
However, a number of Rebels are either out or at least limited this spring. Among them is Jaxson Dart, the third-year starter for Ole Miss at quarterback.
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Kiffin said Dart threw 7-on-7 earlier this week. Mostly, though, Dart is taking it easy — at least to start, and after an off-season, lower-body procedure.
North Carolina transfer left tackle Diego Pounds is currently sidelined after a minor procedure to clean up a meniscus issue, while veteran wide receiver Jordan Watkins is currently practicing in a black, no-contact jersey.
“There’s not a lot of holes to replace,” Kiffin said. “Normally, between the NFL Draft, senior eligibility and the people leaving in the portal, you have a lot of starters to replace and a lot of significant players to replace. We don’t have that.
“So, there was excitement out there. Again, it looks really good as a roster, but we have a lot of work to do.”
The included photos were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin
Ole Miss WR Tre Harris
Rebel linebacker Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul
Ole Miss WR Jordan Watkins
Rebel DB Key Lawrence
Ole Miss RB Kedrick Reescano
Rebel EDGE Princely Umanmielen
Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons
Austin Simmons is playing both football and baseball for Ole Miss this spring
Ole Miss WR Tre Harris
Rebel TE Caden Prieskorn
Ole Miss WR Cayden Lee
Rebel WR Jordan Watkins
Ole Miss OL Nate Kalepo
Rebel QB Walker Howard
Rebel EDGE Princely Umanmielen
Ole Miss LB Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul
Rebel LB TJ Dudley
Ole Miss DL Kamarion Franklin
Rebel DL JJ Pegues
Ole Miss DL coach Randall Joyner
Rebel LB Khari Coleman
Ole Miss LB Raymond Collins
Rebel DT Walter Nolen
Ole Miss CB Tre Amos
Rebel QB Jaxson Dart
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
Rebel QB Austin Simmons
Ole Miss WR Cayden Lee
Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin
