Another week, another rotation at linebacker. All year, Ole Miss has struggled at stopping the run, prompting the coaches to go through a revolving door of linebackers in an effort to shore up the second level, but they’ve yet to find a group that’s stuck.
The Rebels could be without Demarquis Gates against Georgia Southern, as the junior and who usually sees a good bit of time at the middle linebacker spot is battling a knee injury.
Despite struggles earlier in the season, Rommel Mageo will get the start at middle linebacker against Georgia Southern. Mageo said he now feels more comfortable with the playbook and teammates. (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
This week, senior Rommel Mageo will get the start at middle linebacker. Mageo is a graduate transfer from Oregon State who has been unable to crack the lineup again after struggling early in the season. Mageo was named the starter this week despite only playing six plays against Auburn, which tells you how desperate the coaches are to fix their run defense.
“We’re looking for somebody, and he has played more physical than some of the other guys in practice,” Wommack said. “We’ve been a kind of a merry-go-round of who’s playing this week and who is playing the next week so it obviously tells you we’re searching.”
Wommack attributed some of Mageo’s early struggles to learning a new defensive system on such short notice, as Mageo lined up in a 3-4 defensive front when he played with the Beavers.
“I think anytime you come in and you get there in the middle of the summer and learn some of the things we’re doing, you have to be multiple enough to be able to adjust against different personnel packages, and he hasn’t been able to do that,” Wommack said. “He’s got very few reps but he’s been listening in the meetings, picking things up and again we’re searching and hopefully he’ll do.”
Mageo said he couldn’t wait to get on the field on Sunday and felt he had improved since the beginning of the year.
“I’m more comfortable in the scheme now, I know what we’re doing and what we want to do as a whole group,” Mageo said. “I’m more comfortable in the playbook and also my teammates.”
Mageo and the other Rebel linebackers will need to step up if they hope to slow down Georgia Southern’s rushing offense, as the Eagles have gone for 1,912 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground this season.
“Well, they present a challenge because they recruited or either had transfers that were really talented kids at the skill positions and their speed is concerning,” Head Coach Hugh Freeze said. “They create option on almost any kind of blocking scheme, whether it be power, counter, zone. A lot of the time they are going to have the capability of pulling and running the option and that’s not the easiest thing to prepare for when you don’t see it that regularly. It is a concern because of their speed and athleticism, but also because of the system. We’ve got a lot of work to do to get zoned in on stopping that.”
