Where Could Ole Miss Be Ranked in Preseason AP Top 25?

Where will the AP voters place the Ole Miss Rebels in their preseason Top 25?

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Mississippi Rebels at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 2024 college football season is still months away, but it's never too early to begin speculation on preseason rankings.

Until the release of the College Football Playoff Rankings each season, the AP Top 25 is the typical go-to for writers and analysts alike when referencing an individual team. Where could the Ole Miss Rebels find themselves in the initial installment of the AP Poll? That was a recent undertaking by College Football News.

The publication put out a piece over the weekend that predicts what the first AP Poll will look like when it's released in August, and while this is purely speculation, Ole Miss was thought of highly in the rankings. The Rebels came in at No. 6 on the list, flanked on either side by the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 5) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 7).

In total, Ole Miss was one of eight SEC teams who made the list, four of which came in the Top 10. The Georgia Bulldogs held the No. 1 spot, and the Texas Longhorns came in at No. 3.

Other SEC programs included in the rankings were the LSU Tigers (No. 11), Tennessee Volunteers (No. 12), Missouri Tigers (No. 13) and Oklahoma Sooners (No. 14), meaning that the rest of the league's representation came just outside the Top 10. The Texas A&M Aggies, Kentucky Wildcats and Auburn Tigers were also in the "receiving votes" category.

Ole Miss finished the 2023 season ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll following a win in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl over Penn State that gave the Rebels their first-ever 11-win season. That was the highest finish in the poll in recent memory for the program, and Ole Miss is hoping to parlay that momentum into a College Football Playoff appearance this season.

The Rebels will open their campaign at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.