‘Time is now for Ole Miss’: Rebs back to spring ball next week, resetting sights on title hopes in ‘24

Ole Miss football opened spring practices with a pair of light sessions the week before spring break. 

They all — coaches, players, on-and-off-field staffers — took off this week for vacation/much-needed trips home/some basic rest and relaxation. 

However, the Rebels will pick back up on Tuesday, March 19, with the first practice availability for local media. 

And when they do, they’ll reset their sights on an expectations-filled 2024 season set to open against Furman August 31. Ole Miss brought back the core of its 11-win team from last season, the first of its kind for the Rebels in program history. Among them is third-year starting quarterback Jaxson Dart.

The College Football Playoff has expanded to 12 teams. Actually, it’s already on its way to being extended out to 14 starting in 2026 and without the new format actually producing a single game yet. 

Ole Miss in just the last three years has been ranked annually inside the Top 10 and played in a pair of New Year’s Six bowls.

“Let’s not beat around the bush here,” On3’s national college football analyst JD PicKell said this week, in analyzing college football teams with a ‘Win-Now’ window next season. “Ole Miss has gone all-in. They understand the opportunity in front of them. They’ve gone all-in in the portal (and) brought back a ton of guys from last year offensively, Jaxson Dart being the top dude obviously as your quarterback. 

“Tre Harris, big-time receiver, and they added (South Carolina wide receiver) Juice Wells next to him. This offense should be unstoppable. The defense got (Texas A&M defensive tackle) Walter Nolen.

“This is the year. This is the year if you’re Ole Miss to really make a push at things.”

RELATED: Ole Miss spring football roster has a few unfamiliar names to check into

Ole Miss won’t play Alabama this season. 

The Crimson Tide has all but tortured the Rebels every year going back decades. Ole Miss has just nine all-time wins in 66 tries against Alabama. The Rebels last won in 2015.

But even if they did get the Crimson Tide again, Alabama is transitioning following the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban and hire of Washington’s Kalen DeBoer to replace him.

Without the Tide, PicKell sees an even clearer path for Ole Miss.

“We have a question mark around (Alabama),” PicKell said. “Nick Saban was like the most sure thing in college football. You knew Alabama was going to be a force. Kalen DeBoer is a great coach, but we don’t know what his ‘Bama is going to look like. With that being the case, there’s no longer a level that you have to beat to win the SEC.

“Now, you do have to beat Georgia to win the SEC, but here’s the good news if you’re Ole Miss: You don’t have to win the SEC to make the 12-team playoff. You go 10-2 and handle business? Which I think Ole Miss has a decent shot of doing? You’re in the dance. You don’t have to have the best season; you’ve got to be hot at the right time.”

Ole Miss is certainly ascending at an opportune time. 

Now-sixth-year Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin obviously recognizes the opportunity in from of his team, too. He brought in 31 mid-year enrollees, including 17 transfers, who are participating in spring football. 

Among them: Wells, Nolen, Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul (LB, Arkansas), Key Lawrence (safety, Oklahoma), Princely Umanmielien (EDGE, Florida) and Nate Kalepo and Julius Buelow (offensive linemen, Washington).

“Ole Miss (has) weapons that can hurt you whoever they line up against, should they find themselves in that 12-team playoff,” PicKell closed. “The time is now for Ole Miss. Jaxson Dart (and) all these pieces, they’re here for this year. Don’t have an ‘Oh I wonder if we would have …’ kind of statement after the season.”

RELATED: Spring makeup by class of the 2024 Ole Miss football roster