Washington State 2025 Spring Opponent Outlook: Ole Miss Rebels

Oct 12, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Ulysses Bentley IV (24) and wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) in the tunnel before a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Cougars and the Rebels have never met on the football field but that will change on October 11 as Washington State makes the trek to Oxford. Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss bunch is always one to keep an eye on and, after a season in which they finished #11 in the AP poll, they will be of even more interest heading into 2025. There has been a lot of turnover for the SEC powerhouse but that doesn't mean the challenge won't be just as mighty for the Cougs when they come to town.

Offense

Where once was a veteran presence in the quarterback room, now is an abundance of youth for the Rebels. Jaxson Dart, who threw for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns last fall, is NFL-bound meaning that someone in the mix of Austin Simmons, Pierce Clarkson and A.J. Maddox will be the new face of the offense. Simmons, a redshirt sophomore, is the current favorite to land the job. Simmons saw minimal action as Dart's backup in 2024, throwing for 282 yards and a pair of scores.

The Rebels will also have to dig into their depth at running back. Henry Parish Jr. is out the door and now it will be redshirt senior Logan Diggs getting the carries. Diggs only had one touch last year for an Ole Miss squad that opted to pass a lot more than it ran.

Defense

Outside of that of quarterback and running back, though, the biggest position that Ole Miss suffered big losses this offseason was on the other side in the secondary. Corner Trey Amos and safety Jadon Canady are both gone now after logging double digit PBU seasons a year ago. That means that a name Washington State fans know well will likely take over one of those spots. Transfer Kapena Gushiken looks to step into a starting role there after a productive 2024 campaign as one of the Cougs' top DBs.

While things will get switched up in the secondary, things will look relatively familiar over the middle. Linebacker T.J. Dottery, the team's second-best tackler from last season, returns as does Suntarine Perkins. The duo was responsible for 146 stops and 14 total sacks a year ago and both should be poised for another standout year. That means that WSU signal caller Zevi Eckhaus will need to have his head on a swivel in this matchup.

All in all, despite their revamped roster, Ole Miss looks as though it will still pose Washington State its greatest challenge this fall. The Rebels only lost at home once last year to boot and will probably come into this one ranked. The Cougars will certainly have their work cut out for them when they roll into Vaught-Hemingway.

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