Rebels Cornerback Deantre Prince Hopes To Be 'All-Around Defensive Back' in 2022
Deantre Prince isn't trying to get up in arms about the battle under center between Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer at Ole Miss. As a cornerback, his priority is reading the eyes of the opposing gunslinger.
It's spring, and practice is between the Rebels' offense and their defense. Prince is going to see where Altmyer has improved since the 21-7 loss to Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. He's going to see the "wow factor" throws from Dart, who elected to leave the La La Land lifestyle at USC to try and win in Oxford.
Both quarterbacks have impressed. Both have plenty of work left before Week 1 rolls around against Troy.
"They both truly are great," Prince said Thursday following practice. "They both give me different balls. Sometimes I can't catch either one of them, to be honest. When I'm on a pick, I'll try to bait them, and I can't get it down."
Turnovers will be critical for the success of the Rebels in 2022. Last season, Ole Miss finished eighth in the conference, forcing a mere 19 turnovers — 10 of which were interceptions.
Ole Miss is under a new regime defensively. Coordinator D.J. Durkin departed this offseason to SEC West rival Texas A&M. While the Rebels are still taking orders from Chris Patridge, they also added Maurice Crum Jr. as Durkin's replacement from Western Kentucky.
Prince said the formation isn't changing, giving the players an easier path to mesh. Last season, he said it took until the middle of the summer for everyone to be on the same page.
As spring winds down, Prince feels as if the defense has a clearer vision, one which took months to find last offseason.
"We've been in a brotherhood early," Prince said. "Whoever rolls in this summer is just coming to be a part of it, play their role and continue to be a part of a great defense."
Prince's role could change this season for certain formations. The 6-foot defensive back asked in the offseason if he could begin to work more inside as the nickel defender to help him become a more "all-around type of DB."
Sam Carter, the Rebels' new cornerbacks coach, obliged the request. It's a work in progress for Prince, but he credits Carter for pushing him practice.
"He's the type of coach that want us to know almost everything we can be a part of," Prince said of Carter. "Once I started to learn it, I started to like it."
Prince said he wants to be a more vocal and on-hands leader with the younger players. A team is only as strong as its weakest link. Following a 10-win season, Prince isn't looking for regression.
The senior said he's been impressed with the growth of freshman cornerback Davison Igbinosun, Jarell Stinson and Iowa State transfer Isheem "Buck" Young, calling them ballers and early names to watch. The secondary might be the toughest position for Rebels' coach Lane Kiffin to finalize the first and second team.
That's a good thing, according to Prince. The better the competition, the more complete the roster will be for the start of a new campaign in a conference where "it just means more."
"We're all coming together to play as a team," Prince said. "Hopefully by the the time the seasons comes, all of us will have our ones and our twos."
The Rebels' annual spring game, the Grove Bowl, will take place on April 23.
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