As the 2016 football season passed, the confidence and energy within the fan base began to fade. That continued during the offseason and as National Signing Day approached.
On signing day, however, we were able to see a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Let’s take a look at six reasons you should be excited for the upcoming football season.
The Return of Jordan Wilkins
Wilkins came off the 2015 season hot, and came into the 2016 season with a lot of hype. Right before the season starter, however, he was deemed academically ineligible and was forced to sit out a year.
Now, a senior, Jordan Wilkins is back and ready to roll. With Wilkins at the front, followed by Eric Swinney and D’Vaughn Pennamon, this year’s stable of running backs has a chance to be the best in the Freeze era.
An Experienced and Talented Offensive Line
In the past, the Rebel offensive line unit has struggled. It has been constantly deemed a huge flaw in an otherwise explosive offense. This year could be different. Ole Miss returns virtually everyone on the line, with the exceptions of Robert Conyers and Ben Still.
Not only is this unit experienced, but they also possess plenty of talent. To put it into perspective, three of the five starters were formerly No. 1 in the entire nation at their position coming out of high school. Be excited about this offensive line and do not be surprised if they make some noise.
The Schedule
Last year, the schedule played a huge part in the catastrophe that was the 2016 season. If the Rebels could have had a few cupcake games to start the season, who knows how it would have turned out.
Although South Alabama is no cupcake, Ole Miss begins the year with two winnable, non-conference games, before heading to Berkeley to face Cal. That could set up the perfect storm of momentum for the Rebs before the big one in Tuscaloosa.
In addition to the favorable start, Ole Miss also drew Kentucky as their opponent from the East this year, along with cross-divisional rival Vanderbilt. Although Kentucky continues to improve, it is a much better draw than Florida or Georgia. If there was ever a year to break open the SEC, this would be the year for the Rebels.
The Receivers
There is a lot of question marks surrounding this year’s Ole Miss team. There is, however, one aspect that is set in stone: the Rebels have an extremely talented and deep receiving corps.
Notable returners include AJ Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Van Jefferson, Markell Pack, DaMarkus Lodge, Tre’ Nixon and the freshmen that will be coming in. No matter how bad this offseason has been, this receiving corps should have every Rebel fan excited to pack Vaught-Hemmingway in 2017.
The Coaching Staff
Ever since Hugh Freeze was hired, he has done nothing but impress at the helm of the Ole Miss football program. At times, though, some assistant coaches have been sub-par in the eyes of the Rebel faithful. Those coaches have been replaced, and there will seemingly be a brand new coaching staff come fall.
The two biggest hires were offensive coordinator Phil Longo and defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff. Although Longo has the reputation of running an “air-raid” offense, expect this offense to have a much more balanced rushing attack. With a dual-threat QB, and some good running backs, this could be the most balanced offense we have seen in a long time.
If you are not familiar with Wesley McGriff, get ready to be impressed. McGriff is the new defensive coordinator, and he is an incredibly talented recruiter. He is also known for his tough attitude that has an influence on his players. Expect this year’s defense to look a little more like that squad from 2014, because McGriff and company are for real.
Shea Patterson
Look, there is no guarantee that Shea Patterson will live up to all the hype. In fact, there are a lot of people willing to bet that he will not. There is one thing that cannot be argued, though: the guy is a playmaker.
Patterson, the former number one overall QB in the nation, has a cannon of an arm, an unmatched work ethic and a dual-threat mentality. As a true freshman playing in his first game, Patterson went to College Station and gave Aggie fans flashbacks of Johnny Manziel by absolutely controlling the game in the second half.
If you weren’t already, get excited for this upcoming season. We probably only have two more seasons of watching Shea Patterson in the red and blue, so soak up every minute, and let’s lock the Vaught.
Cole Crenshaw is an intern for Hottytoddy.com. He can be reached at tccrensh@go.olemiss.edu.
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