Ole Miss To Cross-Rep Skill Positions from Offense to Defense, vice vera
The COVID-19 environment has made programs reconsider every aspect of preparation. In fact, the Ole Miss coaching staff is even using some of their precious practice time to work kids at positions that they may never even play.
A string of COVID-19 absences, and some injuries, have caused Lane Kiffin to think outside the box. After a weekend of scrimmages where the team didn't even have two full groups at offensive line or really a third team whatsoever, Kiffin and Co. have decided they're going to start cross-repping players to different positions, just in case it becomes necessary on a gamely.
"We're actually taking the next walk through coming up, we're going to flip the entire skill groups," Kiffin said. "We're actually going to take a full day where all of our skill guys on offense and defense will flip."
Offensive skill players will spend a day in defensive meetings; defensive players will do the same with offensive meetings. Then the team will go through walkthroughs with players on opposite sides to what they're used to.
Offense will go to a defensive meeting; defense to an offensive meeting. Then we'll go out and do a walkthrough with them on the other sides.
(Read More: Defense controls this weekend's scrimmage as numerous players sit out)
For now, this is just for skill positions, but they have considered moving some players in the trenches as well. Ole Miss has been without a handful of offensive linemen of late. They don't plan on moving any offensive linemen to defense, but there are plans to move some defensive linemen to offense, just in case.
"It's so they can get familiar with the basics of offense and defense in case we have to flip someone," Kiffin said. "Also it gives those coaches the opportunity to work with them for a day and see how they process information."
To this point, into week four of training camp, it's been the Rebel defensive backs and offensive line that have been hit hardest by COVID-19.
Three defensive backs returned earlier this week, but still will take some time to get back to normal speed, the staff says. Three additional offensive linemen can theoretically return later this week, assuming they pass all steps of the protocol to return. The tight end group has also been shallow of late, but that's more injury issues than COVID-19 issues.
Depth charts all season long will be fluid. As Kiffin said as camp opens, part of winning in 2020 will be winning the COVID-19 battle on a week-to-week basis. Learning to cross-rep positions, even in a very limited capacity, is another measure to help deal with that depth chart fluidity.
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