Every young defense needs senior leadership, and the Rebels just got a big boost in that category for 2017. Marquis Haynes announced he will return to Ole Miss for his senior season via his personal twitter account.
While the defense wasn’t a bright spot for the Rebels in 2016, Haynes was undoubtedly one of the few standouts for the “land sharks.” With seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and an interception, Haynes continued to play hard despite the disappointing season. Perhaps Haynes’ decision was based on improving his NFL draft stock after a dip in production from his sophomore season, in which Haynes led the Rebels in sacks with 10 and added 16.5 tackles for loss.
Whoever the next DC is for the Rebels, having Haynes as an entrenched leader will go a long way in returning the Rebel defense to its former glory. The Rebel defense showed its inexperience this year as they were forced to play freshmen in key positions. With a full offseason to practice and learn from 2016, the Rebels have a lot of work to do, but Haynes return is a step in the right direction.
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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