2023 Season-In-Review

Record: 11-2, Win vs. Penn State in Peach Bowl (38-25)

Ole Miss displayed an explosive offensive attack led by Jaxson Dart last season but fell to the typical powerhouses of the SEC. An 11-2 season featured lopsided games with losses to Georgia and Alabama. The 2023 campaign ended with a victory over Penn State in the Peach Bowl. The connection between the two teams is similar when looking at Penn State’s fate in the Big Ten. Like the Nittany Lions, the Rebels will be looking to get over the hump against the best in the conference.

Offense: Dart returns for one more run

A team gets a shot in the arm when it hears that its starting quarterback will return for another year. That is what happened to the Rebels when Dart shared that he would be returning for his final season in Oxford. As a junior, Dart took a major step forward, throwing for 3,364 yards with 31 total touchdowns (23 passing, eight rushing). The duo of Dart and Lane Kiffin will get one final run in 2024.

It’s also nice for this duo to return three of their top four pass catchers from last season. Tre Harris led the team with 985 yards on 54 catches with eight touchdowns. Jordan Watkins was also a big-time weapon, finishing with 741 receiving yards. Tight end Caden Prieskorn will be one of the top at his position in the SEC. Last season, he averaged 15 yards per reception with four touchdowns.

The Rebels also suffered a big loss in the backfield. Quinshon Judkins transferred to Ohio State and this means the offense will need a new face to step up. This will likely be Ulysses Bentley IV, who rushed for 540 yards and four touchdowns last season. Ole Miss made sure to make up for the loss of Judkins in the transfer portal as well. It added Miami transfer Henry Parrish Jr. and Jacory Croskey-Merritt from New Mexico.

The offensive line returns three starters from last season and brought in Washington transfer Nate Kalepo. The protection for Dart and the run game should be strong and this is a major boost for the offense as a whole.

Defense: Transfer portal proves important for Rebels

Ole Miss has followed the trend of Kiffin-coached teams over the years. It is an explosive offense known for big plays but has struggled at times defensively. Kiffin has worked to improve this side of the ball and hit the portal hard in the offseason.

It begins with Texas A&M transfer Walker Nolen, who was a highly-sought after defensive lineman in the portal. Princely Umanmielen also comes over from Florida after being named Second Team All-SEC in 2023. Alabama transfer Trey Amos and Arkansas’ Chris Paul Jr. were also Top 50 players in the portal that landed with the Rebels.

The CFB Playoff has expanded to 12 teams beginning this season. Ole Miss was unable to get into the four-team pool but will have a better chance here with eight spots becoming available. With an improved defense, Ole Miss will be looked at as contenders to get into the mix.

Pete Golding has been running the offense and hopes that the 2024 season will be a step in the right direction.

2024 Ole Miss Football Schedule

• Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Furman
• Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Middle Tennessee
• Saturday, Sept. 14: at Wake Forest
• Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Georgia Southern
• Saturday, Sept. 28: vs. Kentucky
• Saturday, Oct. 5: at South Carolina
• Saturday, Oct. 12: at LSU
• Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. Oklahoma
• Saturday, Nov. 2: at Arkansas
• Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. Georgia
• Saturday, Nov. 23: at Florida
• Friday, Nov. 29: vs. Mississippi State