Ole Miss will have quite a bit more available to work with in August

In spring training, the Ole Miss football team looked formidable.

There was lots of available talent and plenty of competition for playing time. The depth situation looked as good as it has in years in Rebel land.

But when August practice begins in just a few days, even more talent is expected to be ready to participate and compete for positions and playing time.

Florida transfer defensive end Princely Umanmielen missed a good portion of spring due to a shoulder issue. He had it surgically repaired and even though the rehab has had some setbacks, we have been told, he is anticipated to be ready for August camp. Princely has received some preseason All-SEC recognition this summer.

Ole Miss added a cornerback since spring in Houston transfer Isaiah Hamilton , a 6-foot-1, 175-pound ball hawk. When Michigan transfer Amorion Walker opted to go back to the Wolverines after participating in spring camp with the Rebels for a couple of weeks before bypassing the rest of spring due to an “injury,” the Rebs were left one veteran corner short. Enter Hamilton, who is expected to battle Brandon Turnage and Chris Graves for the corner spot opposite Alabama transfer Trey Amos , who established himself in spring as a top corner for 2024.

Juice Wells did not practice in spring due to having foot surgery. The 2022 All-SEC performer is running routes in 7-on-7 drills in the summer and should be ready to compete for a spot when August practice begins.

Tight end Dae’Quan Wright , a transfer from Virginia Tech, was not fully healthy during spring, but it expected to be full go in August. Wright ran routes in spring, but had no contact. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, he’s built for contact and should get a heavy dose of blocking in August.

The Rebels running back situation has been completely transformed since spring due to one – Ulyssess Bentley IV – getting healthy after turf toe surgery held him out of spring and a pair of RBs – Henry Parrish, Jr . and Rashad Amos – transferring in. Parrish, who began his career as a Rebel, has been at Miami the past two seasons and Amos, at 6-2 235 pounds, has learned his trade at Miami (OH).

True freshman Cam Clark , a sturdy 6-3 235 pounds, was enrolled at Ole Miss in the spring but did not participate in spring drills due to rehabbing from an injury. There’s been no word on his rehab at this point, but he should have had time to heal – fingers crossed.

Freshman defensive tackle William Echoles didn’t get to enroll at Ole Miss until the first summer semester, but a lot of people in Rebel Nation are expecting quite a bit from him this fall. At 6-3 295 pounds, he has the size to compete, but he’s at a position that has a lot of veterans and a high degree of talent. We shall see if he can break through or not.

Right tackle Micah Pettus did not participate in spring drills while he tried to overcome offseason surgery. In his absence, Washington transfer Julius Buelow took his place and, we are told, impressed the staff. Will Pettus be able to win back his job from the 6-8 315-pound Buelow?

North Carolina transfer Diego Pounds , a 6-6 330-pound left tackle, did not participate in contact in the spring, but took a lot of mental reps. He and junior Jayden Williams , who started two years ago but was beaten out by Washington transfer Victor Curne in ‘23, will battle for the starting LT spot it looks like in August.

Southern Mississippi transfer Gerquan Scott did the same thing as Pounds – no contact but a lot of mental reps. He will be battling Washington transfer Nate Kalepo , most likely, for the left guard slot or he could be going head-to-head with veteran Jeremy James at right guard.

Freshman defensive tackle Jeffrey Rush was at Ole Miss in the spring, but similar to Clark, he did not participate in any contact drills during the 15-practice spring session. The word is that he should be OK to show his ability and value in August.

The one thing the Rebels needed coming out of spring was a defensive end, so they went to the portal and tabbed Jacksonville State’s Chris Hardie , a 6-foot-2, 275-pounder. Will Hardie be another Isaac Ukwu, the transfer who gave the Rebs valuable contributions last season? Here’s hoping so.

While the Rebels looked like a complete team in spring, there were some holes and maybe the dozen or so who will be on board in August that did not compete in spring will fill those holes.

Stay tuned. . . . it’s only a few days away!

The post Ole Miss will have quite a bit more available to work with in August appeared first on On3 .