Report: Ole Miss Football Assistant Alex Faulk Joining NC State Staff - CFB Tracker
FEB 26 ALEX FAULK TO NC STATE Ole Miss Rebels staffer Alex Faulk is reportedly joining the staff of the NC State Wolfpack, FootballScoop.com reported on Monday.
Faulk was the head of high school and junior college relations at Ole Miss, and his new position is expected to be as NC State's director of recruiting.
FEB 11 A 'SUPER' INTRO FOR PATRICK WILLIS Former Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Patrick Willis was recently named to the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, a fraternity that earned some recognition at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
This is a big moment for all the inductees, but it seemed that Willis received the strongest ovation from the group, thanks in large part to his former San Francisco 49ers participating in the game on Sunday.
You can view the video below.
While in college, Willis accumulated 177 solo tackles and a whopping 265 total tackles alongside six sacks and two forced fumbles.
The Ole Miss legend was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019, becoming one of 10 Rebels to be admitted as a player or coach, and was also part of the 2023 Southeastern Conference Football Legends class. Willis led the SEC in tackles twice, was named a consensus All-American his senior year, and was awarded the Conerly Trophy that same season.
JAN 28 OLE MISS HIRES NEW TE COACH The Ole Miss Rebels made another addition to their staff on Sunday, as former Alabama Crimson Tide tight end coach Joe Cox is set to take the same position in Oxford, per On3. Cox, a former quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, is the replacement for John David Baker, who departed Ole Miss in December to become the next offensive coordinator for the East Carolina Pirates.
Cox spent the last two seasons on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama, and was the tight ends coach for the Charlotte 49ers in 2021. From 2016-19, Cox coached tight ends for the Colorado State Rams.
JAN 27 NEW ASST. COACH FOR THE REBELS The Ole Miss Rebels are set to hire the Illinois Fighting Illini's George McDonald as wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator, reports indicated on Saturday.
McDonald is an alum of Illinois where he played the wideout position for the Fighting Illini from 1995-98. He just completed his fourth season as the team's wide receivers coach and assistant head coach.
He helped the Illinois offense (led by former Ole Miss QB Luke Al rank as one of the best in the Big Ten in 2023, as the Illini finished in the top five in the conference in passing (3rd), total yards (t-4th), and scoring (5th) and led the Big Ten West in all three categories.
JAN 16 BJORK TO OHIO STATE OFFICIAL According to Pete Thamel, former Ole Miss Rebels athletic director Ross Bjork has officially been hired by the Ohio State Buckeyes.
You can read the report about his potential hire below.
JAN 15 FORMER OLE MISS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR NO. 1 TARGET FOR OHIO STATE Former Ole Miss and Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork has reportedly emerged as the primary target in Ohio State's search for a new athletic director, according to Pete Thamel via X (formerly Twitter).
Bjork previously served as Ole Miss' Director of Athletics and Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics from 2012-19 before he left for the same position with the Aggies ahead of the 2019 season. Bjork has been with Texas A&M since, and his most notable move with the program was signing Jimbo Fisher to a lucrative 10-year contract extension worth $95 million. Bjork was with Ole Miss for the Hugh Freeze debacle and hired his replacement, Matt Luke, in 2017.
DEC 12 PETTUS STAYING IN THE SIP Ole Miss Rebels offensive lineman Micah Pettus is returning to Oxford for the 2024 season, the Ole Miss football account on X announced Monday night.
Pettus was the latest in a string of announcements for the Rebels in that area in recent days, joining wide receivers Jordan Watkins and Tre Harris in announcing intent to suit up for the Rebels once again next fall. You can view Ole Miss' announcement here, including a hype video that features a personal foul against Texas A&M's Shemar Turner on a punch thrown against Pettus this season.
The lineman played in nine games in 2023 before an injury sidelined him for games against the Georgia Bulldogs, Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and Mississippi State Bulldogs. Pettus is a sophomore out of Madison, Alabama, and while his injury will keep him out of the Peach Bowl for Ole Miss this month, he played a vital role in getting the Rebels to the 10-win mark this season.
DEC 4 FORMER OLE MISS HC MATT LUKE HIRED BY CLEMSON The Clemson Tigers made two additions to their staff on Monday, as former Ole Miss Rebels coach Matt Luke is set to become their latest offensive line coach. Luke spent 2012-19 with the Rebels as an offensive assistant, and was promoted to head coach for his final two years with his alma mater.
From 2020-21, Luke served as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the Georgia Bulldogs. After a two-year break from coaching, Luke will now join Dabo Swinney's staff.
“My family and I are incredibly excited about this opportunity,” Luke said following the announcement. “I have always had tremendous admiration for Dabo as a man, as a coach and as a leader, and I am excited for the opportunity to help him win another national championship at Clemson.”
NOV 30 SEC TITLE REMAINS IN ATLANTA With the Southeastern Conference set to expand to 16 teams beginning next fall, there is one change that is not coming to the conference for the foreseeable future: the location of the football championship game.
Per a press release from the SEC on Thursday, the conference has elected to keep its conference title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta through at least the 2031 season, also giving the SEC an option to extend the date through 2036.
The SEC title game has been played in Atlanta since 1994, beginning with the Georgia Dome that hosted the event through 2016. This weekend's conference title between Alabama and Georgia is the 30th time that Atlanta has hosted the game.
Ole Miss has never represented the SEC West in the conference title, but it was named co-champions of the division in 2003. The SEC is moving away from the division model beginning in 2024 when the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns join the league.
NOV 27 KIFFIN CAMPAIGNING FOR NY6 BOWL? Lane Kiffin took a minute to congratulate his players on Monday morning for finishing the regular season with 10 wins despite having the fifth-hardest schedule in the nation.
Kiffin posted a picture of the ESPN strength of schedule rankings along with the caption: "Truly an Amazing job players!!"
On the surface, this may just appear to be a coach patting his players on the back, but is it also a subtle attempt at campaigning for a New Year's Six bowl game? Kiffin could be posting the rankings to point out that teams like say the Missouri Tigers or Penn State Nittany Lions did not have as tough a schedule as Ole Miss this season. The only teams ranked ahead of Ole Miss on the rankings posted by Kiffin are the Michigan State Spartans (4), Florida Gators (3), Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2), and Indiana Hoosiers (1). Missouri and Penn State, meanwhile, are not even included in the screenshot.
NOV 26 LEBBY OFFICIALLY A BULLDOG Pete Thamel reported on Sunday that former Ole Miss Rebels and current Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby has agreed to a five-year deal to be the next head coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
NOV 25 LEBBY TO STATE 'EXPECTED' Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports reported on Saturday night that Mississippi State is targeting former Ole Miss Rebels offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as its next head coach.
According to Dellenger, a deal is not finalized but "discussions are expected to result in a hire."
NOV 25 LEBBY TO STATE? Could the Mississippi State Bulldogs hire a former Ole Miss Rebels offensive coordinator for their vacant head coaching position?
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables recently discussed rumors that his offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby could be heading to Starkville, as reported by On3. In short, Venables, at least on the surface, is pleased that his assistant coaches could get head coaching opportunities.
“I want all my guys to have opportunity, and I will support them in any way I can…I’m all for my guys having opportunities," Venables said.
Lebby began his coaching career at Oklahoma, but in 2020-21, he helped lead Lane Kiffin's offense and Matt Corral in Oxford, including a 10-win season and Sugar Bowl berth in 2021.
NOV 24 EGG BOWL LOSS AND TRANSFER PORTAL After dropping the 2023 Egg Bowl to the Ole Miss Rebels, Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers is expected to enter the transfer portal, reports indicated on Friday.
Rogers set multiple records at State under Mike Leach's air raid offense, but he seemed to take a step back in a new system this season, and his team fell to Ole Miss 17-7 on Thursday night. You can read the report from 247Sports here.
NOV 23 EGG BOWL PLAY FAKE The Ole Miss Rebels have looked sluggish on offense for most of Thursday night, but they extended their lead to 10 points early in the fourth quarter against Mississippi State on a beautifully executed play action call.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart faked the handoff to Quinshon Judkins and found tight end Caden Prieskorn wide open down the seams for six. It marks the first passing score for either team on the night, and Ole Miss extended its lead to 17-7 with just over 13 minutes to play.
You can watch the play below.
NOV 21 REBELS RISE IN CFP RANKINGS The Ole Miss Rebels are currently focused on their Thanksgiving matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the annual Egg Bowl, but they also saw a shift in the College Football Playoff Rankings on Tuesday night.
The Rebels rose to No. 12 in the poll, up one spot from last week's ranking of 13. You can view the entire rankings list here.
The Rebels and Bulldogs will kick off on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
NOV 20 A TRIP TO DISNEY? The Ole Miss Rebels currently have their sights set on their annual rivalry matchup with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, but after the Egg Bowl, there is an actual bowl game to play for Lane Kiffin's team.
Where could the Rebels find themselves bowling this season? According to CBS Sports, Ole Miss will be spending New Year's Day in Florida facing the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. You can see the full field of bowl projections from CBS here.
The Hawkeyes, like Ole Miss, are currently 9-2 overall, but unlike Ole Miss, they are averaging only 18.45 points per game. By comparison, the Rebels are averaging 36.45 points per game.
Before Ole Miss can turn its attention to bowl season, however, it has to take care of the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Thanksgiving night. A win in the Egg Bowl would give the Rebels their second-ever 10-win regular season in program history and set up an opportunity for the first-ever 11-win season with a bowl game victory.
Kickoff in the Egg Bowl is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
NOV 17 PARTRIDGE DISMISSED Former Ole Miss defensive coordinator Chris Partridge has been dismissed by the Michigan Wolverines, the school announced on Friday.
“Effective today, Chris Partridge has been relieved of his duties as a member of the Michigan football staff,” Michigan A.D. Warde Manuel said in a released statement. “Rick Minter will serve as the team’s linebackers coach.”
Partridge's dismissal comes on the heels of head coach Jim Harbaugh serving a three-game suspension due to the ongoing sign-stealing scandal in Ann Arbor. Partridge served as the Rebels' defensive coordinator in 2022 before departing the program and returning to Michigan, a team he joined originally in the 2015 season.
NOV 16 MULLEN TO STARKVILLE? Dan Mullen was recently asked on SiriusXM College if he would consider a return to Starkville as the Mississippi State head coach after the recent firing of Zach Arnett, admitting that this "may not be the right time" for such a move.
Mullen won 69 games in nine seasons at State, but he isn't sure that this is the best move for him at this point in his career, one where he now serves as an ESPN analyst.
"It’s always a great honor once your name gets mentioned with stuff, and I know the people of Mississippi are so special and hold a special place in my heart,” Mullen said. “As I would say, you never say never when those things go on...You never say never going back, but I don’t know if this is the time."
Mullen left Starkville for the head coaching job with the Florida Gators before being fired in 2021 and joining ESPN. Mullen went 5-4 against Ole Miss during his time at State.
NOV 13 ARNETT FIRED The Mississippi State Bulldogs are parting ways with head coach Zach Arnett, reports indicated on Monday. Arnett was just 10 games into his tenure as State's head coach, and he had a 4-6 record in his time in Starkville.
John Brice of FootballScoop.com was the first to report the news. According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Greg Knox has been named the interim head coach to close out the season.
Arnett took over the reins of the Bulldogs program this offseason after the passing of Mike Leach. He had served as State's defensive coordinator under Leach prior to the promotion.
This news comes at an interesting time for the Ole Miss Rebels who are set to travel to Starkville on Thanksgiving night for the annual Egg Bowl. The Rebels must first face the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in Oxford this Saturday before closing out the season in the annual rivalry bout.
NOV 12 LANE TO A&M? Here we go again.
The Texas A&M Aggies fired head coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday, following a disappointing six-year stint with the program.
And now, inevitably, Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin is being mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Fisher in College Station.
This is nothing new for Kiffin, who was also mentioned last season as a candidate for the Auburn job and seems to always be linked to major openings elsewhere.
During the Auburn coach search last season, it was even reported at one time that Kiffin had accepted the position.
Instead, Kiffin signed an extension with the Rebels, securing his place in Oxford - at least until the next major opportunity came along.
Will 2023 finally be the time that Kiffin leaves Oxford for another job? Perhaps. But given what has happened over the last couple of seasons, it seems more likely that the Rebels will find a way to pay Kiffin yet again and give him an extension to remain in Oxford.
NOV 12 DART HURT When it rains, it pours
With Ole Miss trailing the Georgia Bulldogs 38-14 in the third quarter on Saturday night, things went from bad to worse very quickly for the Rebels, when starting quarterback Jaxson Dart was knocked out of the game with an injury.
The injury occurred when Dart took a big hit while attempting to run for a first down, after electing to attempt to fight for extra yardage, instead of running out of bounds.
Dart was taken to the injury tent and eventually headed to the locker room for further evaluation. He as replaced by Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders in the lineup.
Dart is currently questionable to return.
NOV 11 BOWERS STARTING Georgia Bulldogs star tight end Brock Bowers will start vs. the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night.
Bowers has been out for multiple weeks with an injury and is making his return vs. the Rebels in time for the biggest game of the season for both teams.
Bowers underwent TightRope surgery on his injured ankle earlier in the season.
NOV 9 BOWERS RETURN? According to a story from ESPN, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart "wouldn't rule out" his leading receiver returning from injury this weekend against Ole Miss.
The coach, however, also noted that there are "a lot of markers he's got to hit" in his recovery. You can read the entire report here.
NOV 6 ULM KICK TIME The No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels are currently focused on a huge road game against the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, but they now have their kickoff time scheduled for the following week against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks.
According to a release from the school, Ole Miss and ULM will kick off at 11 a.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network.
NOV 5 GEORGIA KICK TIME The kickoff time between the Georgia Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels was revealed on Sunday afternoon, and as expected, it will be in a primetime slot.
According to a release from the SEC, the Rebels and Bulldogs are set to square off at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
This will be the first time since 2012 that Ole Miss has traveled to Athens to face Georgia.
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series between the two teams 32-12-1.
NOV 4 TURNER EJECTED The Texas A&M Aggies are getting frustrated in Oxford, and it is beginning to show.
In the second half with the Aggies trailing the Rebels 20-14 in a critical game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Turner was ejected after throwing a cheap shot and punching Ole Miss offensive lineman Michael Pettus.
The Rebels responded one play later with a touchdown, taking a 28-14 lead.
After the ejection, the Aggies were able to cut back into the Ole Miss lead with their own score, making it 28-21 Rebels in the third quarter.
NOV 4 KIFFIN ENDORSES LSU AHEAD OF MATCHUP VS. CRIMSON TIDE
The No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels are focused on beating the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, but Lane Kiffin knows he still needs some help from an SEC West rival if his team wants to secure the division. Kiffin was a guest speaker on College Gameday (which is in Tuscaloosa this week) and made sure to endorse the LSU Tigers ahead of their matchup with the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide.
"You guys have fun in Tuscaloosa," Kiffin told the Gameday crew. "They tell me I'm supposed to root for LSU today, so go Tigers."
OCT 30 REBS FAVORITES VS. AGGIES The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels have a stiff test coming to Oxford this week in the Texas A&M Aggies, but Vegas believes they are up for the challenge.
The Rebels (7-1, 4-1 SEC) are currently four-point favorites over the Aggies (5-3, 3-2 SEC) this week at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, and Ole Miss is knocking on the door of the top 10 in the AP Top 25 after taking down the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday.
You can view the lines for the week at the SI SportsBook here.
OCT 29 MULLEN LIKES THE REBS The Ole Miss Rebels are coming off of a dominant 33-7 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday, moving them to 7-1 for the season and in second place in the SEC West behind Alabama.
On Sunday, former Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen shared his thoughts on the Rebels, naming them as a top-10 team in college football.
The Rebels were not the only former rival that the former Bulldogs and Florida Gators coach had in his top-10 either, with Florida State coming in at No. 2, and Georgia coming in at No. 4.
Mullen has Ohio State ranked as his No. 1 team in the country.
You can see Mullen's full top-10 below:
- Ohio State
- Florida State
- Washington
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Oregon
- Texas
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Ole Miss
OCT 23 KIFFIN KNOWS THE DEAL The Tennessee Volunteers lost a tough game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, blowing a 20-7 lead to ultimately fall 34-20 in Tuscaloosa.
After the game, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel was asked by the media if he felt the officiating was unfairly tilted in the Tide's favor.
After all, the Volunteers were penalized eight times for 55 yards, while Alabama had just one penalty for a mere five yards.
Whether he agreed with the assertion or not, Heupel was visibly annoyed with the question, and instead of speaking his mind, chose to stay silent.
After the video of the press conference surfaced, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin chimed in, sympathizing with Heupel and noting his former experience as the Volunteers head coach.
"I love this reaction," Kiffin tweeted. "Been in that same press conference in Orange in that same stadium. I know that feeling."
OCT 20 WILLIAMS UNHAPPY? Former Ole Miss Rebels defensive end Sam Williams is seemingly unhappy with his current situation with the Dallas Cowboys, sending a cryptic tweet that read 'free me' after the team's win over the Chargers.
Williams has played in six games for the Cowboys, but has just one sack, and logged only 12 snaps against Los Angeles.
In fact, for the season, Williams has only played in 111 snaps and has not logged more than 20 since the season opener against the Giants, when he played 34 snaps in a blowout win.
OCT 19 WHAT ABOUT EVANS? Despite a multitude of running back injuries on the roster last week, the Los Angeles Rams have not named former Ole Miss running back Zach Evans their starter. Head coach Sean McVay provided a quote on the situation earlier this week.
"I wouldn't say that," McVay said. "We've got the week to be able to evaluate, and I would say all four of those (running backs) are possibilities, and we're truly navigating through that. But I was pleased with what Zach did towards the latter part of the game."
Evans had four carries for 10 yards in the Rams' win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
OCT 16 BOWERS OUT VS OLE MISS? The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs are questing for an unprecedented third-straight national title under Kirby Smart.
This past weekend, their championship aspirations suffered a major setback, with star tight end Brock Bowers suffering an ankle sprain.
And on Monday, the Bulldogs received even more clarity on the situation, with Bowers now set to undergo TightRope surgery on his injured ankle, according to multiple reports.
The typical recovery for TightRope surgery is 4-6 weeks, which would sideline him until at least Georgia's Nov. 18 matchup vs. Tennessee.
This also means that Bowers would likely miss the Bulldogs matchup vs. the Ole Miss Rebels on Nov. 11. in Athens.
Should the Rebels take care of business over the next three weeks against Auburn, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M - all games in which they should be favored - the trip to Athens would be a major one for Ole Miss in terms of potential playoff and SEC positioning.
OCT 10 VAN JEFFERSON ON THE MOVE? Van Jefferson did not finish his career with Ole Miss, but he did spend his early college days in Oxford before joining the Florida Gators in the midst of the Rebels' NCAA scandal following Hugh Freeze's tenure.
Now, it is being reported that the Los Angeles Rams may be looking to move the wideout to a new home. ESPN originally reported the news, and you can read the details from Matt Galatzan at the FanNation site Ram Digest here.
OCT 9 HOGS OVER PITTMAN? It appears that losing to the Ole Miss Rebels does not sit well with opposing fan bases.
Coming off of the team's 27-20 loss in Oxford to the Rebels, Arkansas fans have followed the lead of LSU fans from a week ago, and have taken to Twitter to demand the firing of their head coach, Sam Pittman.
The loss was the fourth straight for the Razorbacks, dropping them to 2-4 on the season.
"Sam Pittman has to go," one Razorbacks fan Tweeted. "He hired Travis Williams to fix the defense and he did. But he hired a retread OC and won’t fire his buddy Cody Kennedy as OL coach. It’s year 4 and he still looks like a first-year head coach. Time to retire!"
"The faster @RazorbackFB gets rid of #pittman, the faster they can go back and lead the #SEC," another fan Tweeted. "There is way too much talent on that field to not be winning every game. #Razorbacks #FirePittman #razorbackfootball #SEC #PittmanSucks @UniversityOfArk FIRE PITTMAN."
Pittman, who has led the Razorbacks to back-to-back winning seasons, and bowl wins.
He is also the first coach to lead the Razorbacks to a nine-win season since Bobby Petrino in 2011.
OCT 1 FIRE BRIAN KELLY? LSU Fans are furious after the team's 55-49 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night.
And as a result, Tiger fans took to Twitter to voice their frustrations with head coach Brian Kelly, with some even calling for his firing.
"Fire Brian Kelly, HE IS NOT THE GUY" one fan tweeted.
"I just want LSU to hurry up and fire Brian Kelly so I can cheer for them again," said another Tigers fan.
With the loss, the Tigers have moved to 3-2 on the season, with the other loss coming to the Florida State Seminoles in Week 1.
As a result of the loss, the Tigers dropped to No. 23 overall in the AP Top 25.
SEPT 23 OLE MISS UPSET? Since losing to the Texas Longhorns in Week 2, the narrative surrounding the Alabama Crimson Tide is more clouded than it has been in recent memory under coach Nick Saban.
While in years past, many would've predicted for the Crimson Tide to bounce back from the Texas loss and run the table the rest of the way, experts are seemingly picking against Alabama, including ESPN's Rece Davis.
"If this were Ole Miss giving seven, based on what I've seen from Alabama, especially last week, I would take Ole Miss and lay the seven," Davis said recently on the College Football GameDay. "So there's no question that I'm taking the Rebels and getting seven. Not only to cover, but to win outright."
A loss on Saturday for the Tide would obviously eliminate them from college football playoff contention and potentially could see them lose the SEC West.
SEPT 14 KIFFIN SPEAKS ON BAMA Few coaches are more familiar with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide than Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
After his former boss was upset on his home field by the Texas Longhorns, Kiffin was asked about Alabama's prospects for the remainder of the season.
Of course, Kiffin was nothing but positive about the Tide's situation.
"Sometimes an early loss can be good," Kiffin said. "Not Alabama week, but I'm getting Alabama questions already. But I think they're going to be in a better position because it wasn't an SEC game. An early loss sometimes over time has been really good and better than a late loss as we've seen in order to get in the Playoffs and things."
The Rebels and the Tide will face off in Week 4 in Tuscaloosa, where Kiffin will hope to be the second former Saban pupil to take down his former boss this season.
