Vanderbilt safety Javon Marshall (31) tackles Mississippi wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013. Mississippi won 39-35. (Photo/Thomas Graning)
1. How will the wide-receiver position look this year?
Dylan Rubino – Laquon Treadwell will replace the role Donte Moncrief played as the star wideout just fine. Treadwell has the potential to be one of the best wide receivers in the SEC and in the country.
After him, look for Quincy Adeboyejo to play the role of the slot receiver. He played in only two games as a true freshman last season and caught seven passes for 71 yards and one touchdown.
Look for receivers Cody Core, Collins Moore and Josh Johnson to play on the outsides with Treadwell and make plays for the Rebels.
Browning Stubbs – Expect a breakout season from sophomore wide receiver Laquon Treadwell after Donte Moncrief left for the NFL. Ranking third in catches in the SEC with 72 a season ago, Treadwell should surpass the 100-catch mark, as he should be the best receiver in the conference. One other name to look out for is incoming 4-star freshman wide receiver Markell Pack, who could make an impact like Treadwell did a season ago.
2. What to expect from Bo Wallace this season considering he is the most experienced quarterback in the SEC?
Dylan Rubino – Wallace saw a quarterback specialist in the offseason to fix his throwing motion in order to have fewer passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. I think this will help him be a more effective passer and get the ball out quicker, cleaner and more accurately for his wide receivers to make a play on the ball.
Wallace is one of the most experienced starting quarterbacks returning in the SEC, and he has a big chance to prove himself as truly one of the best quarterbacks in the conference this season.
Browning Stubbs – Bo Wallace enters the 2014 campaign as the most experienced quarterback in the SEC. He is the only quarterback who has started two consecutive seasons. Wallace has the chance to set a school record for total passing yards, which is held by Eli Manning with 10,119 yards. Wallace would need to throw 3,779 to make that possible. Also, Wallace needs to cut down the interceptions if the Rebels want to advance to a Jan. 1 bowl game.
3. Is the 2014 defense the best defense under the Freeze Era?
Dylan Rubino – The pass rush is a spot the Rebels will look to improve on from last season. With C.J. Johnson coming back healthy and Robert Nkemdiche looking to improve from his freshman campaign, the pass rush should improve and be a bright spot for the defense and get pressure on opposing offenses.
Experience at the cornerback position will be huge with senior Senquez Golson and junior Mike Hilton looking to continue their great 2013 campaigns. There will also be depth at the cornerback position with Derrick Jones and junior college transfer Tee Shepard coming in.
Safety Cody Prewitt will be the quarterback for the defense. The returning All-American will look to build on his great 2013 where he had 71 total tackles and nine interceptions. The secondary is greatly capable of handling any passing attack throughout the SEC.
Browning Stubbs – Yes, with respect to guys like Mike Marry, Joel Kight and Cameron Whigham, who have moved on from the program, this new Ole Miss defense should thrive this season. After receiving a six year of eligibility by the NCAA to play in 2014, Deterrian “D.T.” Shackelford looks to anchor the Rebel defense. Shackelford will wear the famous No. 38 jersey this fall as he became a two-time recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. Cody Prewitt returns at safety as a senior, and the Rebels hope that Robert Nkemdiche turns into the player they thought he could be when they recruited him.
4. How will Ole Miss utilize the running backs with the absence of Jeff Scott?
Dylan Rubino – The top two rushers for the Rebels will be I’tavius Mathers and Jaylen Walton. Mathers led Ole Miss in rushing with 563 yards on 95 carries and three touchdowns. Walton wasn’t far behind his running back counterpart, rushing for 523 yards on 113 carries with six touchdowns scored. These two will get the majority of the carries in the backfield for the Rebels.
Look for sophomore Mark Dodson to get some carries as well. Dodson saw some playing time last season, carrying the ball only 22 times for 124 yards. Look for Jordan Wilkins and Eugene Brazley to get some carries later in the season as well.
Browning Stubbs – In the upset win over LSU last October, Ole Miss got quite the spark from running back Jaylen Walton, who rushed for over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Walton did all of that in the absence of Jeff Scott, who was injured that game. Walton, along with I’Tavius Mathers will fill in the void for Scott, who graduated last year. One wild card to look out for is redshirt freshman running back Jordan Wilkins. The young power back could be the next great Rebel running back if he can get a little time this season.
5. How will the new recruits fit into the system?
Dylan Rubino – Wide receiver Markell Pack will be playing for the West team in the 2015 Army All-American game in January. He shows great quickness and breakaway speed. He also has great hands and concentration. If he is not redshirted, look for him to make an immediate impact.
Browning Stubbs – While the Rebels didn’t have the stellar recruiting class that they had in 2013, they were still able to sign some quality players that can step in right away. Freshman safety C.J. Hampton will be able to step in and learn a lot under Cody Prewitt. Middle linebacker Christian Russell is an explosive linebacker prospect who covers the field and makes plays in both run and pass support.
For coverage and live updates of the 2014 SEC Media Days, follow @drubino11 and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
