Re-tooled Ole Miss linebacker group got off to a strong start
Heading into the season the Ole Miss defense received a lot of positive attention towards what its potential could be but there was one group that still had some concern over it.
The linebackers group was a unit that gave head coach Lane Kiffin some pause during the spring practices and into fall camp.
Saturday’s performance against Troy may provide a little bit of comfort to the third-year head coach.
Out of the entire defense the linebacker group looked very poised and flying all over the field. Led by the play of transfer Khari Coleman, the middle of the Ole Miss defense did not allow much to get past them.
Behind safety Ladarius Tennison, who was the highest-graded for Ole Miss on defense per Pro Football Focus, Coleman earned the second-best defense grade with a 78.8.
Coleman, Troy Brown, Austin Keys and Ashanti Cistrunk combined for 25 of the 79 total tackles made by Ole Miss on Saturday.
“They did really well,” Kiffin said on Monday. “It would probably be the equivalent of if we were sitting up here and the quarterback(s) was 80 percent completion between the two of them, four touchdowns, no picks or something. That was the concern over on defense. They did really well.
“Now, we’re going to have bigger challenges, obviously, and some more space games. That was not a space game. (Troy) played in tight a lot. We’re still going to have bigger challenges but they did great.”
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Related: ‘We’re trying to break some habits’: Lane Kiffin evaluates Ole Miss’ season-opening win
Kiffin even went as far as to name Coleman and Brown as Ole Miss’ two defensive players of the game.
Brown finished with 11 tackles and only one shy of tying Tysheem Johnson’s team-leading 12. Coleman was right behind Brown with eight tackles to go with two sacks.
Five of Coleman’s tackles were for loss, making him the third Ole Miss player since 1999 to have at least that many in a single game.
Coleman was a late addition to Ole Miss, getting his transfer approved with Ulysses Bentley IV within a day or two of spring practices starting back in mid-March.
Losing Chance Campbell and Mark Robinson was a tough hit for the linebacker group but through one game it appears Brown and Coleman are working to fill that void along with returners in Keys and Cistrunk.
“They played outstanding,” Johnson said on Monday of the linebackers. “Khari, Troy, Austin. I think we got great linebackers. They filling big shoes that we had to replace from last year in Mark and Chance. I think we’re moving in the right direction.”
In Coleman’s one game as a member of the Ole Miss defense he graded out better in every category than his season averages the last two seasons as part of TCU’s defense, according to PFF.
