Denzel Nkemdiche looks to break up a pass last season. Photo: Alex Edwards, The Daily Mississippian.
Yesterday, we looked at the pieces Ole Miss has coming back on offense. The Rebels also look to have a lot of key components back on the defensive side of the ball next season, which should make them one of the top defensive units in the Southeastern Conference.
Defensive Line
Ole Miss did lose some guys on the defensive line, but Rebel fans have to be excited about the guys they have returning.
It all starts in the middle at defensive tackle where Robert Nkemdiche, who will be a sophomore, and Issac Gross, who will be a junior, will lead the charge.
Other key factors at defensive tackle will be rising seniors Bryon Bennett and Carlton Martin, rising junior Woodrow Hamilton and Central Florida transfer Fadol Brown, who will be a junior after sitting out the 2013 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
At defensive end, the Rebels will be glad to get C.J. Johnson, who will be a senior, back after he missed most of the 2013 season with an ankle injury. Rising senior Carlos Thompson will also look to make an impact after missing a lot of time in the last half of the season with a stinger.
Another big addition was the announcement that D.T. Shackelford will return for a sixth year. Shackelford missed two seasons with an ACL injury but made a big impact this past season.
Also at defensive end, rising junior Channing Ward and rising sophomore John Youngblood will be in the mix.
Linebacker
Ole Miss will have to deal with the loss of Mike Marry at middle linebacker, but at outside linebacker and stinger, they will be in good hands.
Keith Lewis, who will be a senior, is the next man up at middle linebacker, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can step up and man the position.
At outside linebacker, Ole Miss has two solid players returning in rising senior Serderius Bryant and rising junior Denzel Nkemdiche. Nkemdiche battled injuries this past season, and Bryant stepped up and became a big playmaker for the defense.
Tony Conner, who will be a sophomore, was phenomenal at stinger for Ole Miss during his freshman season. It’s a tough spot to play because it’s a hybrid linebacker/safety in the Rebels’ 4-2-5 scheme, but Conner seems built for the position.
Cornerback
It was just a couple of years ago when Ole Miss didn’t know who would be available to play at corner from week to week. Now, they’ve got a solid group of returners that will make the position no longer a worry for the coaching staff.
Rising senior Senquez Golson is the top returner, but it’s the emergence of Derrick Jones, who will be a sophomore, who really has the coaches excited. Jones flipped to corner in the middle of the season in 2013 and looked pretty good when he was out there. His 6-foot-3 frame gives the Rebels a long guy who can cover the taller receivers in the SEC.
Ole Miss also has rising juniors Mike Hilton, Carlos Davis and Quintavius Burdette.
Safety
The Rebels are still looking to add depth at safety, but they return a solid core of players.
Cody Prewitt will be a senior and will be looking to outdo the 2013 season that saw him lead the SEC in interceptions and earn first-team All-American honors. Rising juniors Trae Elston and Chief Brown will also be back.
However, Ole Miss will also have redshirt sophomore Anthony Alford, who had to sit out this past season after transferring from Southern Miss. Alford is one of the best athletes on the team, and the coaches look for him to excel at safety.
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— David Collier
thedmsports@gmail.com
