Expectations are high for the Ole Miss Rebels this year, both in the players’ minds as well as the fans’. The team will have their eyes set on a return to postseason play after having their bowl streak snapped at four years after last campaign. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium has recently undergone expansion to push the capacity to 60,580, and a record number of season tickets have already been sold. The 27,215 fans that showed up to get a glimpse of the team in the spring game is also a record. Of course, when you think Ole Miss football you think Eli Manning, but the rest of the team will have to step up if the Rebels hope to be a success. Starting off on the offensive side Manning will call the shots under center. As much as State fans hate to admit it, he deserves a lot of the recognition that he gets. Last year as a sophomore he broke 17 school records and ranked in the top 25 nationally in 12 different offensive categories. This year he enters the season as a Playboy pre-season All-American. Manning should be even better this year, if that’s possible, after reviewing film and hitting the weight room during the summer. Depth behind him is non-existent, so if he should happen to go down, the hopes of the team will go down with him. The backfield behind Manning will be questionable with the loss of tailback Joe Gunn and fullback Charles Stackhouse. Senior Robert Williams will get the start at running back in the early going. After being a backup his whole career, the shifty runner will get a chance to contribute. He could be a good one if he can stay healthy, which has been a problem. Junior College transfer Ronald McClendon, who was ranked as the number one junior college prospect in the country, will be competing with Williams for playing time. Tremaine Turner could also get some time after missing last year with injuries. At fullback the Rebels will be set with Toward Sanford, who has seen playing time the last couple of years. Rick Razzano, a bruising blocker, will give him relief. All in all if things go well this could be a surprising strong point of the team.
The receivers for Manning often get pushed aside, but this group is one of the deepest and most talented in the league. Two of the three leading receivers from last year are back in Chris Collins and Jason Armstead. Bill Flowers is the possession guy and is also coming back for another year. Collins led the team with 54 catches for 692 yards and six touchdowns. Behind those three are Trey Fryfogle and Ross Barkley who have experience, and freshmen Mike Espy, Taye Biddle and Mario Hill–all three should be sensational in the years to come. All in all this group can hang with any defense in the country and will give Manning plenty of options to improve his stats. The best receiver could be tight end Doug Zeigler, who might be the most underrated tight end in the country. This guy has size and ability, which makes him a very dangerous target. The offensive line will once again be solid, as only one starter, Terrance Metcalf, has to be replaced. All-SEC center Ben Claxton will be back for his senior year to lead a group of big and talented young guys. Protection for Manning should not be a problem with this group.
The defensive side of the ball is always an Achilles heel for the team, and this year is no different. A new defensive coordinator in the person of Chuck Driesbach has been brought in to try and sure things up. Unfortunately, he is working with a defensive line that is vastly undersized. None of the inside guys weigh more that 275. The ends are a little better but still small, so to compensate for these troubles expect the Rebels to line up more men in the box to stop the run.
With all the problems on the line, one positive spot for the team is their linebackers. These guys might be the best and deepest bunch behind Auburn. All-American candidate Eddie Strong will anchor the group, while their best tackler Lanier Goethie also returns for his senior year. All told, there are 10 returning letter winners from last year in the group, so they should be set in the middle. Syniker Taylor and Justin Coleman are gone from the secondary, but this group should still have plenty of depth. However, with a new defensive scheme the jury is still out on how well these guys will perform, and there could be changes made in the early part of the season. The faster they develop, the more successful they will be.
Finally, the special teams should be another strong point for the team. Jonathan Nichols will handle most of the field goal and extra points, as he did last year. Sophomore punter Cody Ridgeway returns as well. As far as returns go, just stick any of the wide receivers back there and they’ll do fine. That could be a spot to get the new guys a little experience.
With so much talent on the offensive side of the ball, the defense just needs to do their part to keep the team in games. Scoring will not be a problem, but as in the past it might not be a problem for the other team either. There’s no doubt Eli Manning is on his way to becoming a great one. If the secondary and defensive line can surprise some people, this team has a shot at big things. However, a tough schedule will probably limit their success. A bowl bid is definitely a possibility, and the team doesn’t want to sit home through another postseason.