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‘We’re going to play the best players’: Inside the return practice of Ole Miss spring football

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrett•03/20/24•

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Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin (Photo credit: Josh McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics)

Jaxson Dart and the rest of the Ole Miss football team, ranked as high as No. 5 in way-too-early preseason rankings for the 2024 season, held their third practice of the spring on Tuesday. 

Dart is in his third season as the Rebels’ starting quarterback. He was one of a host of notable veterans who, in the off-season, put off the NFL Draft to run it back with the Rebels next season, when the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams. 

Ole Miss is coming off a program-record 11-win campaign.

“Felt great to be back out there,” Dart said. “There was a lot of energy out there today. Super positive to see the guys come back with a lot of energy. I thought the way we executed was on a really high level considering the break we had. 

“I’m really liking how this team is looking.”

RELATED: Transfers pass eye test, as still-portal-shopping Ole Miss gets back to spring football

Ole Miss brought in 31 mid-year enrollees, including 17 Division I transfers.

The Rebels also return 60 letter-winners from last season, when they finished as college football’s No. 9 team. It was Ole Miss’ highest final slotting in the Associated Press poll since 1969.

The Rebels have been to four straight bowls under now-sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin and last season again featured one of the nation’s top offenses. Ole Miss was No. 12 in scoring offense (35.1) and No. 13 in total offense (461.9). The Rebels led the nation in fewest turnovers (7).

“I don’t care who plays, where they’re from (or) what year,” Kiffin said. “We’re going to play the best players. I feel really good when we win; I feel really bad when we lose. I’m never going to play someone because they were recruited here or this many years of experience or from whatever state. 

“I say that with these guys because I think they know that, and I think that’s part of why they come here.”

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin

WR Cayden Lee

EDGE Princely Umanmielen

OL Nate Kalepo

WR coach George McDonald

WR Tre Harris

QB Jaxson Dart

WR Tre Harris

DB John Saunders

DB Brandon Turnage

LB TJ Dudley

CB Chris Graves

QB Jaxson Dart and Lane Kiffin

EDGE Princely Umanmielen

DT Jamarious Brown

OT Diego Pounds

EDGE Princely Umanmielen

LB Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul

RB Kedrick Reescano

CB Trey Amos

OL Nate Kalepo

LB TJ Dudley

DB Key Lawrence

DB Brandon Turnage

Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding

OL Gerquan Scott

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