Ole Miss
Rebels
Preview 2008 - Defense
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2008 CFN Ole Miss Preview |
2008 Ole Miss Offense
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2008 Ole Miss
Defense |
2008 Ole Miss Depth
Chart
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2007 CFN Ole Miss Preview |
2006 CFN Ole Miss Preview
What you need to know:
There will
be plenty of attacking and lots of pressure in the backfield,
but the D will also give up its share of big plays. Eight
starters return to a defense that wasn’t all that bad, but it
didn’t get any support from the offense. Greg Hardy will earn
several All-America honors at one end, while Marcus Tillman and
top JUCO transfer Emmanuel Stephens should help provide a killer
pass rusher from the other side. The linebacking corps gets JUCO
transfer Patrick Trahan, a guided missile who originally went to
Auburn before having academic issues, to pair with do-it-all
playmaker Ashlee Palmer. The hope is for receiver Marshay Greene
and running back Jeremy McGee, a transfer from UCLA, to provide
help on the corner, while Jamarca Sanford and Johnny Brown form
a solid safety tandem.
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Returning
Leaders
Tackles: Ashlee Palmer,
89
Sacks:
Greg Hardy, 10
Interceptions: Ashlee Palmer, 3
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Star of the defense: Junior DE Greg Hardy
Player who has to step up and become a star: Junior CB
Marshay Green
Unsung star on the rise: Sophomore LB Allen Walker
Best pro prospect: Hardy
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Hardy, 2) LB Ashlee
Palmer, 3)
SS Jamarca Sanford
Strength of the defense: Speed and athleticism, pass rush
Weakness of the defense:
Production, cornerbacks
Defensive Line
Projected Starters: With a new coaching staff
could come a clean slate for junior pass rushing sensation Greg Hardy,
a 6-4, 265-pound dream of a pro prospect with a tremendous speed burst
off the ball and a great ability to close once he gets a bead on a
quarterback. In the doghouse here and there under the old regime, Hardy
only ended up playing in ten games but still managed to finish fourth on
the team with 64 tackles to go along with ten sacks and 18.5 tackles for
loss. Formerly part of the Rebel basketball team, he's a tremendous
athlete who has just scratched the surface on how good he can become.
The next step after his breakout year is to be more consistent. He
dominated Alabama with three sacks, and came up with two against LSU,
but disappeared for stretches and did nothing in the season finale
against Mississippi State. If he can keep his head screwed on straight
and if he realizes that there are millions of dollars waiting for him if
he has another good year and shows off an elite work ethic, he'll be
dominant.
Even though Hardy had a big year and drew all the attention, junior
Marcus Tillman failed to take full advantage on the other side.
Expected to blow up as a top-shelf pass rusher, he failed to register a
sack and game up with just 4.5 tackles for loss along with 41 tackles.
At 6-4 and 260 pounds, he has tremendous size and phenomenal upside, but
the one-time super recruit has to put it all together.
The steady star on the inside is
senior Peria Jerry, an All-SEC tackle who anchored the
front line making 58 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
Finally able to stay healthy after struggling with injuries as a
sophomore, he showed how good he could be. Now he'll have even
more responsibility as he'll line up where needed and depending
on the situation. He's a tackle, but he's quick enough to move
to the outside from time to time.
At the moment, sophomore Ted Laurent will start on the
nose after seeing a little bit of action in seven games. At 6-0
and 303 pounds, he's a bowling ball of a defender with a good
base and great leverage. He had a good spring showing excellent
quickness into the backfield, and with the rest of the strong
line around him, he won't have that much pressure to carry the
run defense; he just has to hold down the fort on the inside and
let everyone else work.
Projected Top Reserves: Like Hardy, sophomore
Kentrell Lockett is a former Rebel basketball player with
tremendous athleticism and great pass rushing potential. A
top-shelf recruit, he was supposed to be the team's breakout
pass rushing star, but he only made seven tackles and a sack in
six games of action. Basically, Hardy had the season Lockett was
supposed to come up with. At 6-5 and 240 pounds, Lockett is a
big speed rusher who's expected to come up with a big year in
the rotation with Hardy.
Battling with Tillman on the other end will be 6-3, 220-pound
junior Emmanuel Stephens, a star JUCO transfer who
cranked out 21 sacks in his two seasons at Blinn CC in Texas.
While he's not all that big, he has excellent speed and burst.
He could be a specialist early on and will get ever shot at
beating out Tillman for the job.
Finally, finally, Jerrell Powe will be
part of the mix. The one-time superstar recruit, and the gem of
the Ole Miss 2005 class, Powe hasn't been able to get
academically eligible, but now he's able to join the team and he
should be able to ready to shine. The 330-pounder is the type of player NFL
teams build a defense around, and now he'll clog up the Ole
Miss defensive interior.
Watch Out For ... more pressure in the backfield.
Hardy is a given, but he'll get everyone's attention. If Tillman
doesn't come through this year, there are other options, like
Stephens and Lockett, who'll get to the quarterback.
Strength: Potential. Hardy has first round draft pick
potential, and Jerry is growing into a top NFL prospect.
Tillman, Stephens, Laurent and Lockett are all interesting, and
now the line will go to another level with Powe eligible. The
pieces are there, but there hasn't been much in the way of ...
Weakness: Proven production. The line never came
together over the last two seasons. Despite the great recruiting
classes and the players who look like Tarzan, there's been a lot
of playing like Jane. It's time for this group to start stopping
someone's running game.
Outlook: The play in the backfield improved and
there was far more pressure on the quarterback than there was
two years ago, but the run defense has been non-existent over
the last few seasons even with all the talent. There's no excuse
for this front four to be anything but dominant, but that was
the hope for last year, too.
Rating: 7
Linebackers
Projected Starters: Former JUCO transfer Ashlee
Palmer was a top safety prospect who moved to linebacker and
flourished on the outside with a team leading 89 tackles with
seven tackles for loss, three interceptions and seven tackles
for loss. The 6-2, 222-pounder is a natural weakside defender
with great athleticism and unlimited range. The former high
school quarterback doesn't miss any tackles and can hang with
anyone out of the backfield on pass patterns. He's a special
player who'll be the centerpiece of the linebacking corps.
Looking to take over in the middle is sophomore Jonathan
Cornell, who was expected to replace Patrick Willis last
year, but he ended up starting on the weakside where he made
nine tackles before being lost for the year with a shoulder
injury. He was able to get his sophomore eligibility back, and
now he's expected to be a key three-year starter in the middle
if he can hold up. And that's the problem. The talent is
undeniable, but was 6-1 and 225 pounds, he has to prove he can
take the pounding.
Ready to emerge as a star on the strong side is sophomore
Allen Walker. One of the bright spots this spring, the 6-1,
215-pounder who made 13 tackles as a reserve showed he could be
more than a beefed up safety. An elite defensive back prospect
when he came to Ole Miss, he's a great open field tackler who
should be all over the field from the strongside position.
Projected Top Reserves: Tony Fein finished
second on the team with 94 tackles with three tackles for loss
seeing time in the middle, and he'll be a key factor in the
rotation again. The 6-2, 245-pounder is a great tackler and is
plenty tough having spent close to four years serving in Iraq
before making 136 tackles and 12 tackles for loss at Scottsdale
CC. While he's great against the run, and he has the size the
smallish linebacking corps desperately needs, he doesn't have
much in the way of range.
The depth chart will make a huge change this fall when
Patrick Trahan gets off the bus. The 6-3, 225-pounder is
considered one of the nation's top JUCO prospects having made
120 tackles and nine sacks for NW Mississippi CC last year, and
now he's bringing his elite athleticism and great tackling
ability to Oxford after starting out his career at Auburn.
Watch Out For ... the linebackers to be better
than the coaching staff thinks. Nutt has pointed out that the
corps might be a problem, and it's not going to be elite, but
it's serviceable with players like Palmer and Cornell good
enough to win with. Things could change in a big way if Trahan
is as good as advertised.
Strength: Quickness. Everyone can move extremely well.
The idea under the old regime was to beef up safeties and bring
speed, speed and more speed to the corps, and while that has
meant the Rebels can run, they've had problems holding up
against the better running teams.
Weakness: Talent. It's not a bad corps, but there isn't
the frontline talent compared to other SEC teams. There's plenty
of depth and there are several options to play around with, but
there are several star high school defensive backs playing
safety; there aren't plenty of star high school linebackers.
Outlook: Can all the speed and quickness make up
for a lack of size and skill? It didn't work last year as the
linebacking corps was bowled over way too often, and while the
tackle numbers were there, many of the stops came down the
field. There's plenty of experience to work with and a lot of
good runners who'll be all over the field, but now there have to
be more impact plays from someone other than Palmer.
Rating: 6.5
Defensive Backs
Projected Starters: One of the first big changes
Nutt and the coaching staff came up with was a shifting at
cornerback. The corners didn't make nearly enough plays last
year, and now if could be up to former receiver Marshay Green,
the team's third leading receiver with 31 catches for 260 yards,
to be the No. 1 cover man on the left side. The 5-9, 170-pound
junior has the the speed and quickness, he's also a tremendous
kick returner, and he looked like a natural defensive back this
spring from the start.
On the right side will likely be senior Dustin Mouzon,
when all is said and done. He's in a battle for the job he held
throughout last year, and while he's a good tackler, making 59
stops with a sack and four tackles for loss to go along with two
interceptions and five broken up passes, he didn't do enough
when the ball was in the air. One of the team's faster players,
he showed off his wheels with a 99-yard pick six against
Memphis.
One of the sure things in the secondary is 5-10, 200-pound
senior Jamarca Sanford after finishing third on the team
with 83 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. While he's not all
that big, he's plenty tough having filled in at linebacker
earlier in his career. While he needs to be better against the
pass, the strong safety is one of the team's biggest hitters and
a tough special teamer.
5-11, 207-pound sophomore Johnny Brown took over the
starting free safety spot late last year and finished with 60
tackles and an interception. He showed this off-season that he
deserves to keep the job despite getting plenty of competition.
With excellent speed and great range, he has tremendous upside
and should only get better; at least that's the hope. He's been
good, now he has to be consistent.
Projected Top Reserves: Neck-and-neck with Mouzon
for the starting corner job on the right side is 5-10, 185-pound
junior Cassius Vaughn. There's a chance Vaughn could move
over to the other side if Mouzon steps up his play this fall,
but the two will most likely work in a rotation. Vaughn was
terrific last year in a spot starter role making 48 tackles, but
he didn't do anything against the pass. Originally a top running
back when he came to Oxford, he's now a true DB.
Playing behind Brown at free safety is 5-11, 192-pound junior
Kendrick Lewis, last year's starter before Brown took over
halfway through the season. Even so, Lewis still made 57 tackles
and broke up two passes; he just didn't do enough against the
pass. The former wide receiver has been surprisingly strong
against the run since making the move.
Pushing hard for one of the safety spots is 5-10,
200-pound senior Terrell Jackson, a good veteran who made
29 tackles and broke up two passes in a limited role. The former
corner made the move to strong safety, and if nothing else, he
could become a nice veteran to use in nickel situations.
Trying to help boost the talent at corner is former running back
Jeremy McGee, the UCLA transfer who sat out last year to
become eligible. A star high school track man, he has the speed
to handle himself at his new position if given more time to
work. He'll rotate around with Green on the left side.
Watch Out For ... Green and McGee. The coaching
staff quickly identified the corners, even with returning
veterans, as being a big problem. With the offensive backfield
and the receiving corps appearing to be solid, Green and McGee
were expendable to the defense, and they've come through in
practices so far.
Strength: Tackling. Considering this is a smallish group
that's made up of all corner-sized defenders, everyone can hit.
There have been plenty of chances in recent years, but now the
DBs should be able to focus mostly on coverage.
Weakness: Interceptions. The Rebels came up with a grand
total of three in 2006, and the secondary snagged just three
last year with two coming from Mouzon in the season opener.
That's why Nutt wanted to upgrade the corners.
Outlook: Most offenses spent so much time running
the ball on the Rebel front seven that they forgot about bombing
on the light secondary. Those teams that wanted to throw, did.
The safeties should be fine this season with Sanford and Brown a
solid tandem, but the corner situation will be an issue all
season long. It could take a year for everyone to feel
comfortable, but the corners should grow into a bit of a
strength by 2009.
Rating: 6
Special Teams
Projected Starters: Junior Joshua Shene
might not have been consistent this off-season, but he's been solid for
the last two years nailing 24 of 34 field goals and 11 of 17 last
season. He has good enough range go connect from 50, but he missed four
attempts inside the 40.
Juniors Rob Park and Justin Sparks will battle it out
for the punting job, and while Parks will likely get his starting job
back after averaging 39.7 yards per kick and putting 15 inside the 20,
he has to do a better job of airing it out and a more consistent job of
pinning it deep.
Top receiver Mike Wallace averaged 23 yards per kickoff
return last year, while Marshay Green Average 23.4 yards per try.
Green will try to do more on punt returns after averaging just four
yards per try.
Watch Out For ... the punting job to be in
question. Sparks is fine, but Park will get a shot to show off what he
can do this fall. If Park is lights out, he could have the gig.
Strength: The return game. Green is far better than he
showed as a punt returner. With all that's on his plate, Green will
relinquish the kick return duties to Wallace, who's every bit as
explosive.
Weakness: Punt coverage. Here's the problem with the
punting game, Sparks doesn't do enough to help out the net average. The
return team didn't exactly do its part allowing 12.5 yards per return.
Outlook: Everything is fine, but it's not special.
There needs to be more from the punting game, Shene needs to hit everything from
close range, and Green needs to add more pizzazz to the punt returns.
There are enough good veterans to be a little bit better in all areas,
and if the kicking game is more consistent, the special teams will be a
strength.
Rating: 7