Ole Miss DB Otis Reese '100 Percent' Ready For New Season

Otis Reese is “100 percent ready” to begin the new season in Oxford. So is Ole Miss as a defensive unit.

Reese, a 6-3 defensive back with the ability to lay down the hammer against the run, said that the defense is fully healthy entering Week 1. New players via the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class have also adjusted to their roles under coordinator Chris Partridge.

“Coach Partridge did a great job breaking down what our defense really is and our scheme,” Reese said Tuesday. “From two-minute defense to four-minute [drills] to win the game situations, the whole staff really broke it down with football terms."

Partridge will be joined by new co-defensive coordinator Maurice Crum, who is set to replace D.J. Durkin. On top of a change at coordinator, the Rebels also added several high-profile players that are expected to contribute right away to the defense.

Defensive end J.J. Pegues (Auburn) is expected to start opposite Georgia Tech transfer Jared Ivey. In the secondary, Former Big 12 Freshman of the Year Isheem Young (Iowa State) is slated to start at safety opposite senior A.J. Finely.

Reese said he’d been impressed with the new players and their ability to learn the defense on the fly, primarily in the secondary.

"I think the guys overall have an understanding of football and the situations we're going to be put in," Reese said.

Ole Miss is looking to build off its record-setting 10-win season entering Year 3 of the Lane Kiffin era. Last season, the Rebels' defense played a factor in the team’s success but struggled to find consistency in their back seven.

Among all 14 SEC programs, Ole Miss ranked 12th in pass defense, allowing an average of 245.8 yards per game. The Rebels fared better in terms of creating turnovers and pressures, finishing tied for eighth in interceptions (10) and third in sacks (40).

Finley said he could feel a change during fall camp regarding the team’s chemistry. Now, the Rebels need to show it against Troy come the first snap.

"I feel like the culture has changed," Finley said. "I feel like we have a goal and that is one of the biggest reasons why the culture has changed in the program."

The Rebels open the season at 3 p.m. against the Trojans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

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