Ole Miss resumed practice yesterday afternoon after defeating Idaho this past weekend 59-14. The Rebels (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) practiced without pads on their first day of the bye week in hopes of getting some guys they lost to injury healthy again.
Young guys get work
With a top-10 ranked recruiting class this past February, Ole Miss gained a lot of attention from around the country. A few of the commitments the Rebels picked up will not see game time due to redshirts, but are able to get some work in during practice.
Two quarterbacks DeVante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan, both of whom were highly ranked prospects last season as high school seniors, got in work Tuesday and head coach Hugh Freeze said he was pleased with what he saw.
“We planned, regardless of who was out this week, to see those two get a lot of reps,” Freeze said. “I think they both have some very positive things about them. Ryan’s head, he knows where things should go and when they should get out of his hand, and he needs a year to get his arm strength better and, hopefully, a quicker release.
“DeVante’s kind of the opposite. He’s got a quick release and good arm strength, still picking up things and the timing of things, but I saw some good things from both of them today.”
Logan emerging as a top target
Senior wide receiver Ja-Mes Logan had his first breakout game of the season this past weekend against Idaho with six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns, and with double coverage being thrown at junior Donte Moncrief most of the time, Logan is seeing his targets rise.
“Ja-Mes is a senior who has played a lot of snaps,” Freeze said. “I think he understands and feels coverages really well. He catches it in tight spots, which makes the quarterback feel good. You feel like you can trust him to protect you from the tight coverage.”
Against Texas A&M, Logan dropped a pass on the Rebels final drive of the game that he believes cost the team the game. However, he said he knows that is a ball he can catch every time. From that point on, Logan said he took things personally.
“I feel like I lost the game for us, so I just put it on my back and ever since then I come to practice, don’t really talk, and really stay focused throughout the whole week,” Logan said.
Despite that game lingering in the background, Logan was able to silence some of the critics this past Saturday.
“That was my main goal,” Logan said. “That was my focus, to prove a lot of people wrong.”
Rebels dealing with crowded backfield
Depth was considered one of Ole Miss’ major, if not biggest, issue heading into this season. However, at running back, the Rebels are dealing with an overload of guys who are proving they can carry the load. After senior Jeff Scott went down with an injury, two sophomores Jaylen Walton and I’Tavius Mathers stepped in and put up big time performances against Texas A&M, LSU and Idaho.
“Everybody’s time is going to come,” Walton said. “And my time came. I was just waiting on my moment. When I get the ball in any way, even if it’s kickoff return or any phase of special teams, I try to make it happen.”
On top of the performances from Walton and Mathers, freshman Mark Dodson made a strong case for more carries during the Idaho game with some strong runs and a touchdown reception. Although the scene is crowded, Walton said that the competition is fun.
“It makes it more fun,” Walton said. “We’re a team, so all of us have to roll with the play. We work hard in practice against each other to get each other better. It’s a competition so the best man will win.”
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