Pete Golding Believes Ole Miss' Defense is Starting to Find its Rhythm

The Ole Miss Rebels have a lot of new parts heading into fall camp. It begins at the top with head coach Pete Golding. He'll get ready for his first full season as a head coach, and the expectations couldn't be higher for Ole Miss.

However, having quarterback Trinidad Chambliss back in the mix keeps a much-needed stability on offense. On top of running back Kewan Lacy returning to Oxford, Golding can find comfort knowing the offense is in reliable hands and should continue to operate at a high level this season.

The defense had added new faces. Will Echoles and Suntarine Perkins highlights the key returners, but they will be working with plenty of transfer portal players.

A Defense With Experience

Mississippi Rebels linebacker Suntarine Perkins celebrates a defensive play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Golding was asked about the experience on the roster. He believes that it will prepare them for the adversity this season, per The Rebel Walk.

"I mean, you bring guys in with experience, hoping that the moment or the game or the stage isn't too big," Golding said. "And then the focus starts becoming on something that doesn't really matter. And so I think we have a lot of guys that have played in a lot of big games at big places and all that, so I think there's not a lot of anxiety going into certain things."

It starts with the revamped secondary. Jalyn Crawford, Edwin Joseph, Joenel Aguero, and Sharif Denson are some of the transfer portal players who will help out. If the Rebels can find a rhythm on defense early in the season, that would be a massive bonus. Golding doesn't seem worried about guys grasping new concepts.

"I think they've got a good idea conceptually of what we're asking them to do in all three phases, and now it's honing in on the speed of the game versus real people on a consistent basis," Golding said. "And then getting back to the fundamentals and making sure that we're coaching it the right way and that they understand."

One of Ole Miss' biggest weaknesses last season was allowing the big play. They desperately need a shake-up. With how much talent is on the defensive line, it should make life easier for the secondary. The Rebels should have a balanced team, and once the defense gets up to speed, they become that much more dangerous.

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