Ole Miss holding its lone open scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday: What to know
The NFL has its preseason camp and schedule with now three games through the month of August to serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts. For Ole Miss it is Saturday that serving that same purpose.
With three weeks remaining before Ole Miss opens up its 2022 season against Troy it will hold its first scrimmage of fall camp and it is open to both fans and the media.
This weekend serves as the only Saturday this month that is open to media availability, making it the most important scrimmage of Ole Miss’ fall camp in terms of gauging where the depth chart stands in a game-like environment.
Plenty of questions still surround this Ole Miss team and Saturday will pull the curtain back a little further than the practices have in answering as many as possible.
The top question is the Ole Miss quarterback battle – that is all that will be said about that.
The next questions could be where does the running back ranks fall and how is new receivers group full of fresh faces meshing and gelling. Is freshman Quinshon Judkins going to become a big-time player his first season in the SEC? The initial eye test strongly suggests yes.
Practice reports have indicated things are going very well for the receivers but that is in a practice setting. Saturday’s full speed setting might help more with that. What have the additions of Malik Heath, Jordan Watkins and Jaylon Robinson provided?
The Ole Miss offensive line looks solid among the starting five but how is the depth that has been previously discussed as developing look? Saturday will reveal how the back up five look with the tempo on offense ramped up.
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And of course how is the tandem in the Ole Miss tight end room of Casey Kelly and Michael Trigg meshing as a potentially deadly combo in the SEC this fall.
Saturday’s scrimmage also provides a good look at the defense and the new attitude and aggression that has been mentioned.
Chris Partridge was in charge of the Ole Miss defense last year but appears to have more of the reins in his grasp this season. He is expecting a ‘violent’ yet calculating approach this year. Time to see some of that on Saturday.
What does the defensive line, which has touted more depth, look like in a game environment? Cedric Johnson gets to show how he has progressed as the lead threat on the end and capable of replacing Sam Williams.
Linebackers were the main concern in the spring as their ranks were depleted due to injuries. Fall camp has seen the group at full strength with Troy Brown, Ashanti Cistrunk and Austin Keys leading the charge.
A very, very deep secondary in terms of numbers is a positive for Ole Miss, so far. But Saturday will be the first test of how deep the chart is of guys who will be play makers and reliable bodies come September.
How will A.J. Finley, Otis Reese and Miles Battle progression look in leading the Ole Miss secondary that Partridge is looking for them to become
Related: Franchise Player: A dummies guide to Ole Miss football’s all-important Saturday scrimmage
