QB Luke Altmyer is More Confident at Conclusion of Spring Camp
OXFORD, Miss. -- Following Ole Miss' Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor in January, Rebel fans were likely skeptical of their program's quarterbacking future.
Matt Corral went down with an ankle injury in the first half, giving way to freshman Luke Altmyer. The young gunslinger was still wet behind his metaphorical ears, having seen a handful of snaps throughout the season when Corral had sustained minor injuries.
Once Corral went down, however, all bets were off. This was now Altmyer's game and, for the night, his team.
At times, he looked like the class that stood by his name on the roster: a freshman. With two interceptions and an offense that looked very different without its seasoned general behind center, it began to look more and more like Ole Miss was in trouble when Corral was no longer with the team in 2022.
Then, there were times when he looked like no moment on Earth was too big for him. Across-the-body throws downfield and flashes of accuracy with the long ball helped the Rebels find the end zone and stay in the game.
When Ole Miss lost that game 21-7 to ring in the new year, however, the question that had been merely a whisper jumped forward to the front of the conversation: who will replace Matt Corral next fall?
© John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
© John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Enter Jaxson Dart. The USC transfer came to Oxford along with his tight end teammate Michael Trigg, and immediately the Rebels had more depth in the quarterback room. What they also had, however, was a quarterback competition brewing, one that has yet to be resolved as spring camp concludes.
Quarterback battles between rising sophomores aren't meant to be solved in spring camp, more times than not. These competitions often last well into the offseason and right up to (or past) opening Saturday in college football.
It appears that Ole Miss will be in that boat as it looks for Corral's heir in 2022, but the Luke Altmyer that has seen the field recently and at the annual Grove Bowl spring game is different than the one who trotted onto the field during the Allstate Sugar Bowl just four months ago. His words, not mine.
"I think I've gained so much confidence," Altmyer said. "Last year, I think I lacked a lot of it, just being new and trying to get comfortable around a bunch of new guys. Once I got more confident and comfortable with my teammates and coaching staff, it opened so many more doors."
A large key to this confidence boost has come from more one-on-one time with his head coach Lane Kiffin. Now that Corral is riding off to the NFL, Kiffin is back to the molding stage with a young quarterback, whether it be Dart or Altmyer.
"Obviously, with Matt being gone and a new chapter, there's a lot more time with [Kiffin]," Altmyer said. "Just being around him--him sitting in meetings every day giving coaching points. It's just about getting more confident and comfortable."
Altmyer was more efficient with the football on Saturday than his counterpart, committing no turnovers compared to Dart's two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
"Not a very good first half," Kiffin said of Dart. "I thought he was trying to win the job instead of just playing quarterback. Forcing balls and not being very consistent. I talked to him before the half about calming down and taking one play at a time, and I thought he did some better things in the second half."
"I think I did alright," Altmyer said of his own Grove Bowl performance. "Like I said previously, I'm a big perfectionist and overthinker. I'm always reaching for bigger heights."
Winning a starting quarterback job in the SEC would certainly qualify as "bigger heights," and that remains the young Altmyer's focus heading into the summer and fall.
"Just keep working," Altmyer said. "I think I'm doing a good job, but my mindset of 'doesn't matter, get better' will push me every single day."
"We don't have to make a decision today," Kiffin said. "We've got a lot of time left. Jaxson just got here, and Luke's got a year ahead of him, so I hope Jaxson will continue to improve with more time in our system throughout fall camp."
Ole Miss will open its 2022 season at home against Troy in September.
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