What is the Ceiling for the Ole Miss Rebels Entering the 2023 College Football Season?

OXFORD, Miss. – The 2023 college football season is still months away from kicking off, but it is never too early to predict how the top teams in the country will finish next fall.

ESPN released its predictions for the floors, ceilings, and biggest variables for each team in the Top 25 on Wednesday and the Ole Miss Rebels came in at No. 20. Thanks to advanced stats, ESPN created projections that separate the top teams into tiers of expectations.

At No. 20, the Rebels have been projected a ceiling of 9-3 and a floor of 5-7, with a 1 percent chance of finishing 11-1 or better.

Here is the entire excerpt on Ole Miss' ceiling, floor, and biggest variables going into next season.

20. Ole Miss Rebels

Ceiling:

9-3 |

Floor:

5-7

Initial SP+ rank:

18 |

Odds of finishing 11-1 or better:

1%

Biggest variable:

Quarterback. After starting 8-1 and averaging 37.4 points per game in 2022, Lane Kiffin's Rebels lost their last four and averaged 24.5. Jaxson Dart ranked 15th in Total QBR before Nov. 1 and 64th after. As he is wont to do, Kiffin was aggressive in bringing in reinforcements. Dart, Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders and LSU transfer (and former top-50 recruit) Walker Howard will compete for the QB job in 2023. The Rebels defense will be loaded with seniors, but we'll see if they get what they need from the most important position in the sport.

According to ESPN, the biggest question mark for the Rebels going into the fall is the quarterback position. While sophomore Jaxson Dart showed flashes in 2022, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was adamant about adding talent to his quarterback room.

Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders and LSU Tigers transfer Walker Howard will be competing against Dart for the starting position throughout the offseason.

You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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