Miles Battle Believes Depth is Strong Suit for Ole Miss Defense This Fall
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OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss Rebels cornerback Miles Battle is still finding ways to improve at his relatively-new position on the defense, but he believes that he is taking strides along with the unit as a whole.
Battle came to Ole Miss as a wide receiver, but he began seeing reps at cornerback during the 2020 "COVID season" when roster numbers were depleted week-to-week due to positive tests and contact tracing. Now, however, he has made the defensive secondary his home, and he is constantly evaluating ways to make himself and that side of the ball better.
"We've got to keep eliminating big plays on the outside," Battle said of the Ole Miss scrimmage on Saturday. "We've got to be locked down and make sure we're on the same page."
Going against a Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. offense day-in and day-out is no small task, but Battle has a few receivers that he likes facing during practice that help make him a better defender.
"Malik Heath and Jonathan Mingo," Battle said. "Those two guys, I like going against them both. We're all competitors, and we've been going against each other for a while, so it's a lot of fun out there."
Although he was originally a wide receiver, the adjustment to cornerback hasn't been as bumpy as some might think. Battle said at Ole Miss Media Day earlier this summer that he had to learn to essentially run routes backwards and have a new philosophy on physical contact as opposed to his wide receiver days.
Even though he changed positions while at the Division I level, his seemingly-seamless transition hasn't been surprising to him.
"I wouldn't say surprised, just because of all the work in the offseason and spring," Battle said. "I knew that it was a new position for me, so I had to catch up. People who have been playing this position have been playing it for a long time.
"It wasn't really a surprise, but I feel like it's been paying off really well."
As far as the defense itself goes, Battle feels confident about his unit's depth entering this season, but he admits that there is always room for improvement, especially during fall camp.
"It's always a work in progress," Battle said. "Nothing is perfect, but the bond we've built outside of football is reflecting on what we're doing on the field. It's creating the right atmosphere that we want for this season.
"Our depth is a strong suit for us this year. We did bring some people in from the transfer portal, and being able to build that depth in all the rooms is essential."
Battle and the Rebels will open their season at home against the Troy Trojans on Sept. 3. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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