For Hugh Freeze this has been one long offseason. Why you ask? He signed a top 10 recruiting class in February. He led the Rebels to a remarkable turnaround, even taking them to a bowl game. He even won back the Egg Bowl trophy.
Things seem to be turning rather quickly for Freeze in Oxford. He is building Ole Miss into a contender in the SEC West in front of the eyes of the nation.
However, this offseason has also seen its share of tough questions and big expectations placed upon Freeze’s shoulders as well.
Many questioned the legitimacy of Freeze’s recruiting efforts in February and are still doing so today. Furthermore, Freeze has a team that many pundits have predicted to win eight or more games and make noise in the SEC West.
Despite the tumultuous offseason, Freeze and his team were able to accomplish a lot during preseason camp.
Remember how scary thin the running back position was last season? Freeze has stated that he will use four backs this season, but he isn’t sure if it will be the same four. Senior Jeff Scott and sophomores Jaylen Walton and I’Tavius Mathers will get the majority of the carries, but freshmen Kailo Moore and Mark Dodson could potentially figure into the equation as well. Depth has been created at that position.
The offensive line was fortunate to have remained as healthy as it did last season. This fall, the progression of veteran guys and the additions of freshmen Laremy Tunsil and Austin Golson have Freeze confident enough to play up to nine guys. That will go a long way in allowing the offense to increase the amount of time they can spend running their fast tempo packages.
Another position that was questionable coming into camp was the receiver position. Freeze felt the depth wasn’t good enough in the spring. Fast-forward to the fall and receiver looks to be a strong position with the addition of freshmen Quincy Adeboyejo and Laquon Treadwell. Even with injuries to junior Vince Sanders (Freeze has mentioned the Alabama game as a possible point of return) and senior Korvic Neat (out four weeks), the receiver position appears to be stable for now.
Along the defensive line, sophomore Issac Gross was absent for a big portion of fall camp; however, he is back now and could be ready to go for Vanderbilt. Gross’ lack of weight appears to be the talented defensive tackle’s remaining issue.
In Gross’s absence, some old names surfaced on the defensive line. Juniors Bryon Bennett and Carlton Martin had big camps, but sophomore Woodrow Hamilton out-shined them.
At defensive end, junior Carlos Thompson showed more promise than he has at any point in his career and has locked himself into a good amount of playing time. The real story on the defensive line this camp was freshman and former No. 1 recruit in the nation, Robert Nkemdiche. He showed that the hype was real, and he has run with the first-teamers most of the camp.
The linebacker position has been one of the more quiet positions in camp, but could be a unit that makes a big impact this season. Junior Keith Lewis had an impressive camp, and defensive coordinator Dave Wommack even called him the prototypical linebacker for his 4-2-5 system. Senior D.T. Shackelford moved away from this spot and found a home at defensive end. As expected, senior Mike Marry and sophomore Denzel Nkemdiche are poised to have big seasons.
The secondary appears to have a breakout star on the way as well. Since the spring, the staff has been raving about sophomore safety Chief Brown, and he had an impressive fall camp that has locked him into a lot of playing time this season and potentially a starting job.
Senior corner Charles Sawyer missed most of camp, and junior corner Senquez Golson still hasn’t gone full speed yet during camp while nursing a hamstring injury. So the cornerback spot has been mix and match, but senior Dehendret Collins and sophomore Quintavius Burdette have stepped up and have been consistent.
Like the offseason, preseason camp had its tough times, too.
Freeze wasn’t pleased early on in camp with the performance and focus of junior quarterback Bo Wallace. Two weeks ago, Freeze was worried about having so many players still missing practice.
So next Thursday night when the Rebels face off against Vanderbilt, it will in many ways be a sigh of relief for Freeze as he will be able to push an offseason full of questions and build-up behind him and his team.
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