Ole Miss left tackle Victor Curne has proven to be a versatile, effective portal pickup
For anyone who paid attention in spring football, it was fairly obvious that transfer offensive lineman Victor Curne was going to help Ole Miss’ cause in 2023.
The 6-4 320-pounder who came to Ole Miss from Washington first got noticed for his versatility, being able to play any position on the OL, including center, he says.
All of spring, with 2022 starting LT Jayden Williams sidelined with a shoulder injury, Curne took over the LT slot.
Early in fall camp, it looked as if Curne would slide inside and take on the left guard duties, but in the end offensive line coach John Garrison, at least through the first three games, has tabbed Curne the starting left tackle ahead of Williams in somewhat of a surprise coaching move.
Curne has been very good in pass blocking and around average in run blocking with the Rebels going to 3-0 with wins over Mercer, Tulane and Georgia Tech.
He really didn’t know where he was going to end up this season and he really didn’t care.
“I just came here with the mindset of helping anywhere I could, be it guard, tackle or center. Honestly, I was just trying to play anywhere on the line my last year as a college player,” Curne noted.
Three weeks into the season, he gives himself a tough assessment in regards to what he needs to improve on.
“There are a lot of things I can do better,” he continued. “Staying low, staying positive and not being too critical of myself are big things for me. It’s a week-to-week learning process for me.
“The biggest thing for the O-Line is being on the same page and communicating and we are still working on that each week and will always work on it. All five guys have to be on the same page for the offensive line to work effectively.”
Now the challenge for Curne is being able to communicate in the rowdiness and noise of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
“I have played in the big house at Michigan and I am expecting the same kind of crowd so I hope that helps me adjust to the noise,” Curne stated. “We just have to prepare and not get caught up in the minutiae of the surroundings. That will help calm us if we are prepared.”
When Curne got in the portal, he had a connection to Ole Miss, former Cornerback Miles Battle who is now at Utah, but encouraged Curne to give Ole Miss a try.
“Miles told me he loved it here and loved the coaches here. I trusted him and I’m glad I did,” said Victor. “Ole Miss has been great for me.”
The Rebs struggled running the ball in the first two games, but rushed for 299 yards against Tech. What was the difference?
“Coach (Lane) Kiffin, Coach (Charlie) Weis, Jr. and Coach Garrison all challenged us to be more physical and that’s how we prepared,” he ended. “It worked out well last week, but now we have to reset the tempo for the week and get even better for Alabama.”
The Rebels will have their hands full Saturday in T-Town with traditionally powerful Alabama. If they are to win, the offensive line will have to be a big part of the winning effort.
And Victor Curne will be in the middle of all of it, simply ready to help his new team any way he can.
