It’s no secret that the offensive line struggled last season for the Ole Miss Rebels. Between a number of injuries and inexperience, the group had trouble in both run blocking and pass protection, giving up 31 sacks last season. The good news for the line is that it returns all of its starters. Even if they weren’t one of the best groups in the SEC last year, the added experience should warrant some improvement, and, barring injuries, there should be more depth this season, too.
The anchor of the line is junior left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The offensive line really took a hit any time Tunsil wasn’t on the field protecting the blindside and will need him back at full strength to be effective this year, as he is still recovering from the broken leg and dislocated ankle he suffered against TCU last season. Tunsil was a member of the All-SEC first team last season.
Returning at the right tackle spot will be senior Fahn Cooper. Cooper was a junior college transfer last year and a solid starter for the Rebels across from Laremy Tunsil. At center, senior Ben Still returns and will likely hold the spot once again. Still showed great toughness last year, fighting through injury to help an already depleted Rebels offensive line. Backing him up will be junior Robert Conyers, who split time between tackle and center last year and should do the same this year.
Perhaps the most interesting spot to watch will be at guard. The Rebels have three players who started at some point last season, with senior Justin Bell, sophomore Rod Taylor and Senior Aaron Morris all returning. Morris was the original starter last season but reinjured the same knee he had ACL surgery in 2013 and may not be at full strength for the start of the season. This gives Taylor, who had a solid freshman season, a chance to grab the job next to Bell.
Behind those three, two freshmen have the chance to make an early impact. Redshirt freshman Jordan Sims was called the most improved offensive player in spring camp by head coach Hugh Freeze and could see a lot of time because of it. He’s joined by true freshman Javon Patterson, who was ranked as the number 3 guard in the country and the number one player in the state of Mississippi by 247 Sports composite rankings. Patterson was able to enroll early and take part in spring training as well. This extra experience, along with his skill, should give him a chance to play a lot in his first year and possibly start.
The backup spots at tackle is also something to watch out for. Conyers will be first up at tackle, but behind him will be junior Jeremy Liggins, who was moved to tackle from quarterback and tight end in the spring. Liggins is a great athlete but raw, and will need to continue developing as a lineman. If Liggins can learn the position, he could provide great depth this year and possibly start next year, when both starters will most likely be gone. Sophomore Christian Morris will also be a backup at tackle, but he too needs to continue developing to see time in the upcoming season.
While this offensive line should see significant improvement from last year, it will still have it hands full with some of the dominant defensive lines in the SEC. Depth and overall play should be much better this season, but the offensive line is still a work in progress for the Rebels.
