Ole Miss has one of its most competitive rosters in recent memory. Across the board, there are battles for starting and rotational spots and everything in between. Any number of position battles would be worth mentioning, but most people have their sights set on Ole Miss’ quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back rooms.
Battle for backup QB
Kiffin made noise in the QB market for the second straight year by snagging former top-50 prospect Walker Howard from LSU and Oklahoma State’s second all-time passer Spencer Sanders.
Although a starter has not been named, the consensus among fans is that Dart will be the week one starter against Mercer.
Backup QB is where things get interesting. Does Kiffin go with the experienced Sanders, or does he invest in the future and play Howard late in games? This will be Sanders’ last year of college football regardless of what happens, but Howard is entering only his sophomore season.
It is crucial for Ole Miss to invested in Howard late in games to get him live reps.. Look for Howard to get a good number of reps in blowouts against teams early in the schedule.
Who will be WR3?
Barring injury or shockingly disappointing seasons, Tre Harris and Zakhari Franklin will be the top two options at receiver this year. However, the slot position is somewhat contested.
Jordan Watkins returns after a solid season in which he nearly broke 500 yards and recorded at least two receptions in every game he played. To lock down the spot, Watkins will need to fend off freshman Ayden Williams.
Williams stands at 6-feet-3-inches tall and projects better on the outside long-term. Williams also has the highest skill ceiling of anyone in the receiver room.
This is a tough call. Watkins has shown he can be a reliable underneath option, but Williams has the potential to develop into a first-round pick. There is a chance Ole Miss runs both receivers in the slot throughout the season. However, by the end of the season, the assumption is that Williams will have secured the slot receiver spot.
Deep at DB
Talk about a crowded room. Ole Miss took eight combined transfers and freshmen in this position group this offseason, giving the Rebels their deepest DB room in recent years.
Deantre Prince will start on one side of the field, but his counterpart on the other side is yet to be determined.
The primary candidates are Zamari Walton from Georgia Tech and DeShawn Gaddie from Texas State, but recent Miami transfer Chris Graves could make some noise late in the season. Graves was the 125th best prospect in 2022 according to 247 Sports.
Walton projects to start over Gaddie, and that will most likely be the case. He is physical when covering go-routes, and he shows good footwork guarding in-breaking routes. His large frame makes him a naturally daunting target, and he uses his size well to get leverage on WRs. On the other hand, Gaddie is probably a little more fluid, but he lacks the refinement that Walton has.
