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1. Ole Miss preseason camp begins on Wednesday, exactly one month before the Rebels' Sept. 3 season opener versus Troy.
Here are five storylines I'm eager to follow during preseason camp:
1. The quarterback battle -- Obviously, all eyes are on this one. National media are handing the job to Jaxson Dart, but Luke Altmyer will have something to say about who replaces Matt Corral this fall. It looked to me like Altmyer had the edge after spring, but I won't be shocked if we're still talking about the quarterback battle four weeks into the season.
2. Who are the linebackers? -- Sure, Corral and Sam Williams got the headlines, but replacing Mark Robinson and Chance Campbell won't be easy. My money is on Troy Brown and Khari Coleman, a pair of transfers, but I'll be keeping an eye on Ashanti Keys, as well as a handful of newcomers who figure to get a long look during August.
3. New coordinators -- DJ Durkin did an amazing job with Ole Miss' defense a year ago, and Jeff Lebby emerged as one of the nation's most coveted young coordinators. Durkin is at Texas A&M now, while Lebby left for Oklahoma. Chris Partridge, an ace recruiter who appears to be a future head coach, gets his turn calling the shots for Ole Miss' defense while Charlie Weis Jr. reunites with Lane Kiffin to take over the Rebels' offense. Is the transition seamless? That's a key question heading into the fall.
4. What about receiver? -- In the spring, the lack of receivers was glaring. Jonathan Mingo said at SEC Media Days that he's ready to go, and if so, he can be a star. UCF transfer Jaylon Robinson should be quite impactful immediately, as should fellow transfers Jordan Watkins and Malik Heath. Still, I can't help but wonder if the receiver corps is as deep as Kiffin and Weis would like.
5. Need for impact in the secondary -- Personally, I think we're going to see more 4-3 looks this season, but if Ole Miss sticks with the 3-2-6 look on defense, the secondary is obvious critical. A.J. Finley is back, as is Otis Reese, but Ole Miss will need some impact from newcomers such as Isheem Young and Ladarius Tennison. Roman Rashada reported to campus in June and figures to be in that mix as well.
At cornerback, I'm eager to see if Tysheem Johnson continues to make the big strides he made in the spring. The Rebels, just awful in the secondary in 2020, have a chance to be really good on the back end this fall.
2. In addition, I'll be interested to see several players as they get ready for the 2022 season. Here are five I'll be following closely:
Miles Battle -- A bit of a personal favorite, Battle has finally found a home at cornerback. NFL scouts are watching closely.
Jared Ivey -- The Georgia Tech defensive end is going to get every opportunity to make an impact this fall. He was on the cusp of something special in Atlanta, but Ole Miss needs it to happen in Oxford.
Tywone Malone -- Malone missed the spring, as he was getting some sparing playing time on the Rebels' baseball team. He's got so much raw ability, and Ole Miss would love for him to become a star at defensive tackle.
Jalen Knox -- The Missouri transfer sat out last season, and some inside the program said he was at times the best wide receiver on the roster. He was injured in the spring, and Ole Miss kept recruiting at the position. Still, hopes are high for Knox, and the snaps are available if he's healthy and living up to his potential.
Eli Acker -- There will be lots of talk about Jeremy James, Nick Broeker and Mason Brooks up front, but late last season, Acker seemed to be emerging as a future star. If he can continue that progression, the Rebels could be really good up front, something that would really take pressure off Dart and/or Altmyer.
3. I reserve the right to revisit this before the season opens, as camp occurrences and observations can change things. However, here's my sure-to-go-wrong, a-bit-too-early game-by-game prediction for Ole Miss this fall:
Sept. 10 Central Arkansas -- Win
Sept. 17 at Georgia Tech -- Win
Oct. 8 at Vanderbilt -- Win
Oct. 22 at LSU -- Loss
Oct. 29 at Texas A&M -- Loss
Nov. 19 at Arkansas -- Win
Nov. 24 Mississippi State -- Win
-- I hesitated on Kentucky, a little bit on LSU and a good bit more on Arkansas, but I'm going 8-4. I'll be honest; if you told me I was off a game, I'd go to 7-5 before I rolled the dice on 9-3. Perhaps I'll feel differently when I revisit this the Sunday before the opener versus Troy. I think I need to see steadier quarterback play before I get that confident.
4. Throughout August, we'll keep an eye on the rest of the Southeastern Conference via help from my colleagues at Rivals.com. Here's a quick look around the league as preseason camp is set to begin next week.
At Arkansas, kicker Cam Little found his name on another preseason watch listThursday after landing on the Lou Groza Award's radar yesterday morning. Now already in the mix for the nation's top collegiate kicker, Little has been recognized as one of 114 early nominees for the Wuerffel Trophy which is presented to the player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.
Little's career with the Razorbacks started off with a bang, as he knocked 20 of his 24 (83.3%) field goal attempts and all of his 46 (100%) point-after tries through the uprights as a true freshman last season.
His performance earned him Freshman All-America honors from the FWAA, Pro Football Focus and The Athletic while also being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, but his impact within the state extended beyond the white lines.
Little also made headlines for his extraordinary community service efforts throughout the season. He donated $10 per made field to Down Syndrome Connection of Northwest Arkansas, whose mission is to facilitate inclusion and respect for individuals with Down syndrome within the region, ensuring that they have access to the support and the resources necessary to reach their full potential at all stages of life.
At Auburn, if there’s a silver lining to Auburn’s inquiry into Bryan Harsin’s program in February, it’s been how his players have responded.
And really, not just his players. Auburn’s entire football enterprise has returned stronger and more determined.
“What it did is it united our football team, our players, our staff, our football team,” said Harsin. “I'm really proud of our guys. I'm proud of what something like that that could be very challenging and difficult for a lot of people, how our guys stepped up and handled it.”
Some of the players even spoke with former president Jay Gogue and the Board of Trustees in support of Harsin during the investigation.
“We had to come together as a team and support our coach. Everybody got together and supported our coach like the way it was supposed to be done,” said running back Tank Bigsby.
“I feel like the team got closer. You know? The relationship with the team has gotten closer. I feel like it brought us together.”
Senior Derick Hall said Harsin’t emphasis on hard work and team above individual helped them get through the investigation and come out stronger on the other side.
“We put in the work every day, no matter the outcome — because we believe in Auburn and believe in Coach Harsin,” said Hall. “I love playing for him. He's just a big disciplinarian. He wants everything to be the right way, and you just really don't see that much as far as academics and everything like that.”
At Florida, Billy Napier and Gators landed another verbal commitment for the class of 2023 Friday when 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback Jakeem Jackson announced his intentions to join the Gator Nation.
The Kissimmee (FL) Osceola standout holds over 34 offers from some of the biggest names in college football, including Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Iowa, Miami, Michigan State, and Penn State, South Carolina, and Tennessee to name a few. The Four-Star is ranked as the No 12 athlete according to Rivals.com.
At Georgia, wide receiver is a position where several inexperienced members are going to need to step up if the Bulldogs want to have the kind of depth Georgia’s head coach desires.
“I feel good that we have some good young receivers, but they’re not experienced,” Kirby Smart said. “We’ve got to get them enough experience, valuable experience, in the early part of camp, so those guys are productive at the end of the year.”
It’s not for a lack of bodies.
However, when Smart does a head count in his wide receivers room, there’s only three returnees – Ladd McConkey (31-447, 5 touchdowns), AD Mitchell (29-426-4) and Kearis Jackson (16-194-1) – who caught more than 16 passes last year.
Of course, this does not include the fact tight end Brock Bowers led the team with 56 catches for 882 yards and a school-record 13 touchdowns, or Jermaine Burton’s transfer to Alabama. Nevertheless, when you consider that in Smart’s perfect world his wide receiver corps would be 7-8 deep, then it’s easy to understand his concern.
At Kentucky, CatsIllustrated's Justin Rowland took a look at the best case and worst case for the Wildcats. It's a really good read about a team that reminds me a lot of Ole Miss. Best case: 10-2. Worst case: 7-5. Sound familiar?
At LSU, Mike Jones Jr. loves to talk, which explains why he graduated from Clemson in the spring of 2021 with a communications degree.
And playing middle linebacker (known as the "Mike" LB) in LSU's 4-3 scheme requires Jones calling the defensive signals relayed from the sideline.
“I’ve always talked a lot, that’s just my personality,” said Jones, a 6-1, 230-pound fifth-year junior who transferred to LSU last season and finished strong (23 tackles in the last six games) in the final stretch of a 6-7 season. “I’ve also been able to play different positions in my career. I’ve played some outside linebacker. I’ve played some safety. I’ve been able to see things from different positions.
“I appreciate all those experiences, but middle linebacker is where I should have been all along. I got a lot more reps playing inside throughout the spring, now that’s my job. It’s not like I have to learn how to do this, or this is something different from me. Every day, when I go out on that field, I’m expecting myself and I am going to demand myself to execute to my coach’s level every day, and that’s playing inside the box.”
It’s why Jones boldly made the move from Clemson to LSU after three seasons. He won a national championship ring in 2018 playing three games for Clemson as a true freshman before being redshirted and then losing in the 2019 title game to LSU and losing in the 2020 CFP semifinals to Ohio State.
Jones had an interception against the Buckeyes in what was his final Clemson game. He made the business decision to enter the transfer portal when Clemson starting inside linebacker James Skalski decided to return for a sixth season in 2021 taking advantage of the NCAA granting athletes an extra season because of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
At Missouri, the safeties could be the strength of Missouri's defense, as the Tigers feature a trio of upperclassmen with starting experience at the position. Martez Manuel is back for his senior season after starting each of the past two years. The Columbia native finished second on the team with 77 tackles last season after he logged 64 in 10 games in 2020. Manuel will likely be joined in the starting lineup by Jaylon Carlies. Carlies, who started his Missouri career at cornerback, moved to free safety a season ago and made some eye-popping plays. He finished the season with 67 tackles, four interceptions and a forced fumble. Carlies' production dropped off a bit as the season went on, but given his athleticism and hard-hitting ability, he could be the best NFL prospect on the Tiger defense, and he should benefit from having spent a season in the starting lineup.
During spring practices, defensive coordinator Blake Baker talked about using a third safety to play the STAR position instead of the nickel corner Steve Wilks used in his base package a season ago. We're not totally sure which safeties will play which spots (more on that in a bit), but if there's a third safety in the starting lineup, it would figure to be Clemson transfer Joseph Charleston. Charleston only played three games a season ago before opting to transfer, but in 2020 he racked up 44 tackles while starting six games and appearing in 11. Charleston made a strong first impression at Missouri during the Black and Gold game, when he logged six tackles and an interception.
At Mississippi State, Mike Leach and Co. received great news on Friday, landing a four-star prospect in the 2023 class.
Tabias Hinton announced his pledge to the Bulldogs as the SEC West program welcomes in a loaded list of visitors to Starkville this weekend. Hinton chose the Bulldogs over an offer sheet that included Colorado, Memphis, Michigan, Southern Miss, and West Virginia.
In the end, the opportunity to stay in the Magnolia State and play in the SEC was too much for the four-star defender to pass up on.
"The love they showed (was big)," Hinton explained to Rivals.com. "Multiple coaches consistently text me and hit me up. They've been wanting to get me up there."
At South Carolina, as much as anything else, you could argue Spencer Rattler ending up at South Carolina was a result of his turnovers. If Rattler committing to Shane Beamer’s team was the last domino to fall, the first one was the turnovers that led to his benching.
His head coach, Lincoln Riley, went as far as directly saying his benching in the rivalry win over Texas was because of turnovers. Once Rattler lost his spot to Caleb Williams, it was pretty much the end of the road for him at Oklahoma. He only attempted a dozen passes the rest of the season before entering the transfer portal.
Alan Cole of GamecockScoop broke those turnovers down. It's an interesting read.
At Tennessee, in the kicking game, Josh Heupel has the luxury of returning his placekicker in Chase McGrath and punter Paxton Brooks.
McGrath had a solid year going 12 of 16 with a long of 48 yards.
Brooks was a real weapon last year averaging 44 yards a punt while battling a tender hamstring that prevented him from kicking off. Brooks is healthy and plans to handle both punting and kickoff duties this fall.
Toby Wilson is back as well. Wilson handled kickoff duties last fall when Brooks was unable to do so.
The Vols also return deep snapper Matthew Salansky.
JT Carver returns as a redshirt freshman.
While Heupel is bring back all his kicking legs, he’s not bringing back his wheels in the return game as Velus Jones is off to the NFL.
Jones had 628 yards in kickoff returns and 272 yards in punt returns. Jones averaged 27.3 yards a kickoff return and 15 yards a punt return.
Tennessee has multiple options to look at in those roles from Trevon Flowers in the punt return game to a number of newcomers like Squirrel White.
In the kickoff return game, Jimmy Holiday and Jaylen Wright are both possibilities. For special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler it will be open competition in fall camp in the return game.
At Vanderbilt, all eyes are on De'Rickey Wright in Commodores camp. It's always been evident that Wright had talent and athleticism that few on the roster have; fresh in my mind is a Wright-pick-6 from a scrimmage last August. But Wright's had a rough go of things since his arrival at Vanderbilt, ranging from the death of his mother to various suspensions for disciplinary issues a year ago. After all that, Wright hit the transfer portal in the winter but remained in school and decided, after missing spring practice, that the grass wasn't greener elsewhere.
Wright's neither a bad kid nor a cancer; if he were either, he wouldn't have been welcomed back. Instead, he's a guy who's lost both parents and endured some awful times. And Wright's future could be pretty bright if he's able to put aside off-field things and put himself in a position to help the team.
Wright is listed as a "LB/S" on the roster--in other words, the "anchor" position. He's easily one of the five most talented players on the team, but between anchor and linebacker, there's a lot of talent there. Freshman Daniel Martin was a blue-chip recruit sharing the same spot, and Martin went through spring practice. The coaches love the progress CJ Taylor made this spring and summer. If Martin moved back to just "linebacker," he'd be competing at the team's deepest position. If he moved to safety, he'd be huge (he's listed at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds) for that spot.
That's a lot of questions surrounding where Wright fits, with an additional layer of questions surrounding how the staff treats him after the spring absence (the presumption is that he starts at the bottom of the depth chart).
Wright's too talented a player not to help presuming he's healthy and taking care of off-the-field things. How that plays out is one of the better stories of fall camp.
5. As we get rolling with the college football season, I'll make some sure-to-be-laughed-at-later predictions for other leagues as well. Today, I'll start with my personal favorite, the Big Ten.
6. The NFL season kicks off on Sept. 8 in Los Angeles as the defending champion Rams entertain the Buffalo Bills.
In this space over the next few weeks, I'll make my sure-to-go-horribly wrong NFL picks. This week, I'll tackle the AFC.
7. The Major League Baseball trade deadline is Tuesday.
The New York Yankees got things started on Wednesday night, acquiring All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City. Benintendi played for his new team, against his old team, on Thursday night in New York.
The first-place New York Mets on Thursday acquired outfielder Tyler Naquin and left-handed reliever Phillip Diehl from the Cincinnati Reds in a trade for two minor leaguers.
Cincinnati received outfielder Hector Rodríguez and right-hander Jose Acuña.
In a blockbuster deal late Friday, the Mariners acquired Reds right-hander Luis Castillo for four prospects. Shortstops Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, the Mariners' Nos. 1 and 3 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, are part of the return package, along with right-hander Levi Stoudt, the No. 5 Mariners prospect, and unranked pitcher Andrew Moore.
Of course, Castillo, Benitendi and Naquin aren't the names people are watching as the deadline nears.
Instead, all eyes are on 23-year-old Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto, who may or may not be moved after turning down a 15-year offer for some $450 million. The Nationals are soon to be sold, and Soto appears willing to wait things out and test what would likely be a historical market when he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season.
On Sunday, MLB.com reported San Diego could be the team to watch regarding Soto. The Padres are willing to discuss including three of their best young players as part of a deal for Juan Soto, sources told MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi. Those players are the team's current top prospect, Robert Hassell III, its No. 1 prospect at the beginning of this season, shortstop C.J. Abrams, and highly touted left-handed pitcher Adrian Morejon.
Hassell, the No. 22 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, has an .847 OPS with 28 extra-base hits and 20 steals at High-A Fort Wayne this year. Abrams made his MLB debut on April 8 this season and has hit .231 across 121 at-bats entering Saturday.
Morejon was a Top 50 prospect entering the 2019 season. The 23-year-old missed most of last season following Tommy John surgery and has posted a 3.00 ERA in six appearances in the Majors this year.
St. Louis and the Dodgers are also believed to be in the mix for Soto.
Then there's Shohei Ohtani, the two-way Japanese sensation.
Asked if he still wants to be with the Angels after the trade deadline next week, Ohtani, last year's AL MVP, equivocated a bit in translator Ippei Mizuhara's relay of his answer.
"Regardless of where I'm playing, I'm going to give it my all and try to win that ballgame in front of me," Ohtani said. "I'm with the Angels right now, and I'm very thankful for what they've done. I love my team and my teammates. Right now I'm an Angel, and that's all I can focus on."
Ohtani, who turned 28 earlier this month, is set to become a free agent after the 2023 season. He has spent all five of his MLB seasons with the Angels, finishing below .500 and missing the playoffs each year.
It's highly unlikely the Angels move Ohtani prior to Tuesday, but that could change this winter. The Angels have hit a reckoning. Star outfielder Mike Trout has a chronically bad back, and with wasted money tied up in Anthony Rendon, the franchise is going nowhere. Baseball needs Ohtani in a major market that is passionate about the game, and it's no secret the Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox and other major-market clubs covet him.
The other big names on the market, presumably, are the Cubs' Willson Contreras and Ian Happ. The Mets, San Diego and Tampa Bay have been mentioned as possible landing spots.
8. Speaking of Contreras and Happ, they likely played their final home game as members of the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon, a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.
The Cubs' broadcast that day on the Marquee Network was basically built around that reality. The broadcast was well done, complete with fancy camera shots and solid reporting.
The frustrating thing for Cubs fans -- I am one -- is the Marquee Network was supposed to be the very thing that prevented another sell-off. Contreras has been with the Cubs' big-league club since Father's Day 2016. He started Game 7 of the World Series, is a multiple-time All-Star, etc. In some ways, he's been the emotional leader of the club for the better part of six seasons.
Happ is just 28 and still has another year of club control. He just made his first All-Star team and seems to be coming into his own as a switch-hitting outfielder this season. His being traded is simply baffling.
I listened to my friend, Brett Taylor, talk about the Cubs at the deadline on his latest podcast. He talked me off the ledge a bit, noting the Cubs have rebuilt their farm system, have a ton of money coming off the books soon and are closer to contention than many believe.
However, if I'm honest, I want the Cubs to act like a big-market team. I want them to spend like the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets and Phillies. I want them to add a shortstop and a starting pitcher this winter. I want them to be involved with Soto and Ohtani. That was always the promise from the Ricketts family when it bought the team.
They spent in 2016 and the Cubs won a title. Since then, it seems like the pocketbook has gotten tight. I think the Cubs should be spenders, not perpetual rebuilders. There's not much left from the glory days of 2015-2017 after Contreras and Happ leave. Maybe their departures, which can be explained in baseball terms, have simply left me sentimental.
I just know that when I watch the other big-market clubs spend and contend, I'm jealous, and I thought the very network that basically turned a Tuesday afternoon win over the Pirates into a soap opera was supposed to prevent Cubs fans like me from ever experiencing that emotion again.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 145 — Pork Pibil Tacos.
The first time I was introduced to this recipe was way back in the day at 208 in Oxford. With it being warm outside (hot) what better way than to serve up this great recipe. Thanks go to this version of Nick B's classic Pibil.
Tidbit #1: So traditionally you would use bitter oranges to marinate the suckling pig. Well being that we are in the states, you can use pork shoulder along with orange juice and lime juice to add that acidity. It is important to be able to break down the meat (aka tenderizing it).
Tidbit #2: You will also need annatto seed. You can find this at “The Taco Shop” in Oxford. Please eat a few tacos while you’re there too. ***When you blend the ingredients in the blender, wash the blender after or it will stain it red.***
Tidbit #3: This is a slow-roasted item for quite a few hours and traditionally you would wrap the entire piece in banana leaves. We will braise it in the oven.
Tidbit #4: Lastly, this is a "prepare in advance recipe." You will need 2 days to completely start from A to Z. So get all of your ingredients on Thursday, marinate on Friday, and cook Saturday morning. Done!
Work surface and butcher knife
Large glass bowl and plastic wrap
6 Oranges, squeezed and skin reserved
4 Limes, squeezed and skin reserved
1/2 Cup Annotto Paste or Achiote Paste
Step 1: Dice up your pork into golf ball sizes and place them in your mixing bowl. Add the annatto seed (paste), salt, cilantro, garlic, white vinegar, and the juice of 2 oranges to the blender. Mix until a paste forms and then begin to add the rest of the juices.
Step 1.2: Take the skins from the oranges and limes and put them into the mixing bowl along with the marinade. Mix using your hands, plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 1 day.
Step 2: Set your oven to 325°F. Take your baking dish and add all of the ingredients to it. Place on the stovetop and bring to a small boil.
Step 3: Now place the lid over and carefully place it in the oven for 4 hours.
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting and whatever else comes up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
Why D.K. Metcalf is worth every bit of his new contract extension
REPORT: All charges against Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith dropped
New Bryant-Denny store, NFTs and NIL part of expanded Alabama deal
Kevin Warren Is Ready to Lead the Big Ten Into the Future
Brian Ferentz analyzes 1 Iowa offensive game plan that worked, 1 that didn’t - The Athletic
Sun Belt expansion leaned into regional rivalries. Can it become the top G5 conference? - The Athletic
Giants giving Saquon Barkley lots of reps in the passing game
Kyler Murray calls film study clause criticism 'a joke'
Bengals camp: Offense prepares, Jackson Carman optimism, Kevin Huber slims down
Realignment, recruiting, predictions, TV markets and more: Pac-12 mailbag - The Athletic
Zion Williamson's contract extension with Pelicans has incentives to keep weight in check
Hollinger: Jaylen Brown, RJ Barrett and the NBA’s coming salary-cap rise - The Athletic
Bronny James shows NBA scouts improvement in his game at Nike's Peach Jam
The life of an MLB GM at the trade deadline
Greenberg: Willson Contreras' 'goodbye' to Wrigley Field was authentic and really awkward TV
Carlos Rodón: Still the answer to Cubs rebuild question
'We have the talent': In the air and on the road for five days on the recruiting trail with the Florida Gators
Rivals.com - Five-star USC QB commit Malachi Nelson visiting Texas A&M
Chris Richards’ unique path to Crystal Palace: From FC Dallas rejection to ‘surreal’ Bayern experience
Edu on his Arsenal plan, Saka’s contract and ‘cleaning’ the squad
ESPN's Jimmy Pitaro talks plans for NBA, F1, Big Ten, betting and more
Female Swimmer Speaks Out About Lia Thomas Walking Around Locker Room Naked
Yale Physician Said It’s ‘White Supremacy’ For Biden To Work With COVID In Deleted Tweet | The Daily Caller
Scientists Race to Restore Florida’s Nearly Extinct Reefs
Experts warn melatonin use in America is 'out of control'