Predicting Ole Miss Football's Post-Spring Depth Chart
OXFORD, Miss. -- Spring practices have now come and gone so it is the perfect time to predict how the Ole Miss Rebels will line up on the gridiron this fall.
The Rebels had plenty of storylines to follow this spring whether it be Pete Golding's arrival in Oxford, competition in a reloaded receiver room, or a three-way quarterback competition. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will have some interesting decisions to make when the regular season rolls around, but for now, I will take a crack at making those tough decisions for him.
Here are my post-spring depth chart predictions for Ole Miss.
Offense
Quarterback
Starter: Jaxson Dart JR/TR
Backup: Spencer Sanders RS SR/TR
Key Depth: Walker Howard RS FR/TR
Jaxson Dart has taken big strides this spring, looking far more comfortable and poised than he did a year ago. By the end of spring football, Dart had only thrown one interception. Spencer Sanders was electric during the 2023 Grove Bowl and redshirt freshman Walker Howard is going to turn heads when he gets his chance, but Dart is my QB1 going into the fall.
Running Back
Starter: Quinshon Judkins SO
Backup: Ulysses Bentley IV SR/TR
Key Depth: Matt Jones RS SO, Fred McAfee SO, Kedrick Reesecano FR
This might be the easiest order to predict going into the fall. Quinshon Judkins will likely once again be the crown jewel of the Ole Miss offense after being named the 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year. Ulysses Bentley IV battled injuries in his first season at Ole Miss, but the versatile back appears to be ready for action after recording 103 total yards and two touchdowns in the Grove Bowl. Bentley will be an excellent complement to Judkins out of the backfield this fall.
Receiver
WR-X: Chris Marshall SO/TR
WR-Z: Tre Harris RS JR/TR
WR-Slot: Jordan Watkins SR/TR
Backups: Dayton Wade SR/TR, JJ Henry RS SO, Jalen Knox RS SR/TR, Shane Hooks SR/TR
Key Depth: Bralon Brown RS SO, Brandon Buckhaulter RS SO, Qua Davis SR/TR, Ayden Williams FR
Despite losing Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Ole Miss receiver room has once again been revamped by the NCAA Transfer Portal. This is a talented group highlighted by two 6-foot-3 transfers, Chris Marshall and Tre Harris, and returning slot receiver Jordan Watkins. Senior Dayton Wade will act primarily as the gadget receiver, but he will also get his fair share of action this season.
Tight End
Starter: Michael Trigg JR/TR
Backup: Caden Prieskorn RS SR/TR
Key Depth: Kyirin Heath SO, Hudson Wolfe JR, Jayvontae Conner FR
I almost had to flip a coin for this one. Trigg is a matchup nightmare for defenses, he is too fast for linebackers and too big for defensive backs. While he struggled at times with run blocking last fall, Trigg brings too much to the table from a receiving standpoint to be kept on the bench. Caden Prieskorn is all around a more complete tight end, however, and the Rebels now have the capability to run two tight end sets with ease. It would not shock me though if Kiffin did end up choosing Prieskorn over Trigg due to how much Ole Miss runs the ball.
Left Tackle
Starter: Jayden Williams RS SO
Backup: Cedric Melton RS JR
Left Guard
Starter: Eli Acker RS JR
Backup: Cedrick Nicely RS SO
Center
Starter: Caleb Warren RS SR
Backup: Reece McIntyre RS SR
Right Guard
Starter: Jeremy James RS SR
Backup: Quincy McGee RS SR/TR
Right Tackle
Starter: Micah Pettus RS SO
Backup: Victor Curne RS SR/TR
Key Offensive Line Depth: Cam East RS FR, Preston Cushman SO, Brycen Sanders FR
The biggest challenge for this unit is replacing senior offensive lineman Nick Broeker who only allowed two sacks since the start of his junior year. I have junior Eli Acker sliding into left guard to replace Broeker with senior Jeremy James starting at right guard. Former UAB transfer Quincy McGee also has a fair shot at the starting lineup.
Defense
Defensive Ends
Starters: Cedric Johnson SR, Jared Ivey SR/TR
Backups: JJ Hawkins RS SO, Demarcus Smith RS SO
Nose Tackle
Starter: Josh Harris RS SR/TR
Backup: Zxavian Harris SO
Defensive Tackle
Starter: JJ Pegues SR/TR
Backup: Jamond Gordon SR/TR
Key Defensive Line Depth: DeSanto Rollins RS JR, Jakivuan Brown RS JR
The addition of true nose tackle Josh Harris gives senior JJ Pegues a partner along the defensive line who can help him push the pocket and clog running lanes. Seniors Cedric Johnson and Jared Ivey will come off the edge.
Linebackers
Starters: Ashanti Cistrunk RS SR, Khari Coleman SR/TR
Backups: Monty Montgomery RS SR/TR, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste SR/TR
Key Depth: Tyler Banks SO, Reginald Hughes SR, Suntarine Perkins FR
The Rebels are deep at linebacker but only require two starters in Pete Golding's new 4-2 defense. The backups could start just as easily as Cistrunk and Coleman, however, and fans will of course want to keep an eye out for 5-star true freshman Suntarine Perkins.
Cornerback
Starters: Deantre Prince SR/TR, Zamari Walton RS SR/TR
Backups: Deshawn Gaddie SR/TR, Richard O'Bryant RS SO
Key Depth: Demarko Williams RS SO, Ahmad Brown FR
Strong Safety
Starter: Ladarius Tennison JR/TR
Backup: Trey Washington JR
Free Safety
Starter: Isheem Young RS SR/TR
Backup: Taylor Groves RS FR
Key Safety Depth: John Saunders Jr. SR/TR, Elijah Sabatini RS SO, Ahmad Brown FR
Nickel Back
Starter: John Saunders Jr. SR/TR
The Ole Miss secondary took a hit when 4-star freshman defensive back Braxton Myers decided to enter the portal last Thursday, following 2021 defensive back Markevious Brown who entered the day before. The Rebels are looking a little bare in the defensive back department currently, so do not be surprised if Kiffin finds some extra depth via the transfer portal.
Special Teams
Place Kicker
Starter: Caden Costa RS SO
Backup: Caden Davis RS SR/TR
Punter
Starter: Fraser Mason SR
Backup: Charlie Pollock RS SO/TR
Long Snapper
Starter: Jared Lawerence RS JR
Punt Returner
Starter: Jordan Watkins SR/TR
Kick Returners
Starters: Dayton Wade SR/TR and Jalen Knox RS SR/TR
You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.
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