Ole Miss Football Spring Camp: Critical Component to Offense Feels 'Back' for Rebels

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head football coach Pete Golding met with reporters this week, alongside tight end Luke Hasz and defensive tackle Jamarious Brown, as the Rebels transition into the final stretch of spring practice.

With the Rebels set to move into mock game week, the conversations centered on depth, development and a group that is starting to find its identity.

Getting to Work
Golding said the program will transition to phase three on Sunday, which will include full pads and a simulated game week for the first time this spring.

He has been pleased with how the physicality has developed through shells and noted that the staff has been intentional about keeping players healthy while still pushing the standard of practice.

"The key obviously is keeping guys off the ground," Golding said. "Very controlled environments. But as physical as I've been around."

A minor injury bug along the offensive line has forced some adjustments, shifting certain periods to seven-on-seven rather than full 11-on-11 work. Golding said nothing is expected to carry over into August and the bigger picture remains on track.

Hasz said the spring has felt completely different from a year ago, when a preseason foot injury cut his season short before it really started. Back to full health, he said he has recaptured something he felt was missing.

"I feel like I've got my edge back," Hasz said. "Which is something that is big for me and I just want to keep that going forward."

A Room to Watch
Golding spoke glowingly about the running back room, calling it one of the deeper groups on the roster. He credited running backs coach Frank Wilson for setting the tone and pointed to the mentality of the unit as much as the talent.

"They're a team-first group," Golding said. "Regardless of whether you're going one, two, three or four up there, it's like, man, this kid's got a chance."

The tight end room has also caught Golding's attention.

Hasz said the new faces have meshed quickly and the group has benefited from playing in a similar offensive system brought by first year offensive coordinator John David Baker.

For Hasz personally, the continuity has allowed him to go deeper into the playbook rather than starting over.

"It's been an advantage for me to be able to further my knowledge with what the quarterback's reading and things of that nature," Hasz said.

On the defensive front, Golding acknowledged the secondary is still finding its consistency but pointed to flashes that have encouraged him.

"You watch a couple snaps like, 'Man, that's what it should look like.' And then you watch the very next snap and say 'What just happened?'" Golding said.

The ability to play man coverage and the range in the back end are areas where he sees real improvement from a year ago.

Building Something Real
Golding reflected on the advice he received from fellow coaches before stepping into his first full head coaching role. The consistent theme, he said, was simple.

"Put really good people around you," Golding said. "Be you and recruit really well. Hold them accountable. Try to have stability in the system and normally the rest takes care of itself."

Brown echoed a consistent message from the defensive line room, saying the group has rolled smoothly through the early weeks of spring and that energy around the unit is high.

"Everybody's adapting and learning the way we practice," Brown said. "I'm really excited to see when we get toward the season how we all develop and how we all come together and play."

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