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WATCH: A practice in the life of Ole Miss RBs coach Marquel Blackwell

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrett•05/31/22•

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Marquel Blackwell
Ole Miss running backs coach Marquel Blackwell

Lane Kiffin hasn’t recoiled from the seemingly every-year change to his roster and coaching staff.

If anything, he’s embraced it.

Kiffin was an early adopter of the NCAA transfer portal. He was rewarded in the 2022 recruiting cycle with one of the nation’s top transfer classes, among them running back Zach Evans, quarterback Jaxson Dart and tight end Michael Trigg.

Only three assistants remain from his first Ole Miss coaching staff: Chris Partridge, Derrick Nix and John David Baker. Partridge has been elevated to primary defensive play-caller. However, just as he did with DJ Durkin, Partridge is sharing his coordinator title with Maurice Crum. 

Crum was hired in the offseason. 

Also hired was running backs coach Marquel Blackwell.

Blackwell replaced Kevin Smith, a long-time Kiffin assistant and loyalist. Smith was one of the few coaches to follow Kiffin from FAU. He’s since moved on to Miami (Fla.).

Enter Blackwell, a former quarterback at USF in the early 2000s. He led the Bulls to a 30-12 record over his career and threw for 9,108 yards and 57 touchdowns. He ran for 1,235 yards and 20 additional scores. 

Blackwell, a USF Hall of Fame selection, set a host of individual passing records and remains the school’s all-time leader in passing yards. He’s also first in single-game touchdown passes and second in touchdowns.

RELATED: An Ole Miss practice in the life of first-year Rebel co-defensive coordinator Maurice Crum

Kiffin pulled Blackwell from Houston. 

Other coaching stops for Blackwell include USF, Western Kentucky, Florida, Toledo and West Virginia. He tutored Kareem Hunt while at Toledo. Hunt, now with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, led the MAC and was No. 15 nationally in rushing (1,475 yards). 

Hunt’s school-record 4,945 yards are third in conference history.

Blackwell recruited and coached Alton McCaskill at Houston, and McCaskill had 961 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. He’ll have even more talent at his disposal at Ole Miss in Evans, Ulysses Bentley, Kentrel Bullock and Quinshon Judkins. 

All but Bullock are newcomers.

RELATED: A practice in the life of Ole Miss cornerbacks coach Sam Carter

Evans is a former five-star Ole Miss pulled from TCU.

He’ll lead the room, but Bentley, previously of SMU, also impressed over a month’s worth of spring practices, which culminated in the annual Grove Bowl game April 23. Bullock and Judkins both flashed, too.

Ole Miss lost its three most productive running backs (Jerrion Ealy, Snoop Conner and Henry Parrish) from a team that finished 10-3 last season. The Rebels reached the Sugar Bowl for the 10th time in program history.

Also gone is quarterback Matt Corral, who finished third in rushing yards. Blackwell, though, arguably has a more talented and deeper room. Ealy went undrafted in the NFL Draft. Conner was drafted late by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Parish followed Smith to Miami.

How Blackwell makes the pieces fit will be one of the myriad storylines to follow when Ole Miss opens fall practices in August. The Rebels will kick off their season against Troy in September.

What will the Rebel rushers look like under Blackwell? He was wired for sound during a practice in the spring, in a video provided by Ole Miss Sports Production.

Take a look.

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