It’s that time of year again. Football season is finally upon us, and the Rebels’ roster looks to be one of the most talented they have had in a while.  

Entering the season ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press poll, Ole Miss starts the season with lofty aspirations.   

The Rebels are returning a large number of playmakers from last season. Freshman running back sensation Quinshon Judkins is entering his second year at Ole Miss with potential Heisman shouts nationwide. Junior quarterback Jaxson Dart, the presumed starter, is coming into his second year in Coach Lane Kiffin’s system, looking to make that same leap Matt Corral did under Kiffin.   

As for new faces, Kiffin did what Kiffin does: hit the portal hard. Adding two elite-level quarterbacks in Oklahoma State grad transfer Spencer Sanders and former five-star recruit Walker Howard has put Kiffin in another quarterback decision-making process.   

Along with some key additions on defense in Monty Montgomery, Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste and more, the proclaimed Portal King brought in a top-five portal class in the country. Not to mention adding the top two high-school recruits in the state with five-star Suntarine Perkins and four-star Ayden Williams, both of whom are shaping up to be early contributors for the Rebels.   

Ole Miss is playing host to Mercer out of the FCS for the season and home opener at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2. The Rebels, playing at home in front of what should be a good crowd, is heavily favored to be too much for the Bears.  

Mercer started its season on a high note, winning 17-7 against North Alabama. Mercer quarterback Carter Peevy threw for a touchdown along with 115 yards, with running back Micah Bell scoring as well.    

For the Rebels, no starting quarterback has been announced by Kiffin. While subtle hints have come from coaches, Dart and the social media team, the spot is still technically up for grabs. However, the expectation is that Dart will be the first to jog out on offense on Saturday.   

Even so, it is vital to keep in mind that Sanders will more than likely get some game time, whether it be early on or if the Rebels are up big later in the game.    

Sanders has won games throughout his college career, and now he will look to steal the spot from another former transfer. Needless to say, both Dart and Sanders will be competing not just against Mercer but against each other, too.   

While the expectation is for the Rebels to win, the first game of the season is usually never the most pleasing game of football to watch, so expect some early-season sluggishness and sloppiness.  

As the kinks are worked out, the primary focus will be on avoiding injuries and winning convincingly. All signs point towards the Rebels grabbing their first victory of the season this Saturday.