Five things I learned at Ole Miss football practice this week

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weeks away or maybe it's less than two weeks on Sunday August 18th my birthday and also my twin brother Stevens happy birthday twin my Uncle Rick happy birthday Rick but this podcast this edition of talk of Champions I'm going over five things I learned at om miss practice this week now of course talk of Champions is always brought to you by our friends at Riverland roofing for all your Roofing needs it's Riverland Roofing text her call them today 662 644 4297 that's 662 644 4297 you can visit them online at Riverland roofing.com five things I learned at om practice this week number one yes yes Miss football is a very good football team it's the most common question I get asked Wherever I Go are are we for real pretty good are we good like for real real good yes Old Miss is a very good football team one of the very best in college football actually and don't worry I'm not going to stay this broad I have some practice tidbits just specifically from the last couple of days mixed in here just follow with me one of the best football teams in college football all but a handful of teams would kill for their too deep Personnel they all 22 features 18 transfers that that means 18 to 22 you know this but du came from somewhere else that's still amazing among the highest graded by Pro Football Focus grading in the country they're all 22 and the important thing is they look that way I have my concerns as do everyone else I think about the injury stuff because there are a lot of important Rebels right now in black no contact jerseys here's a few Prince lean Mellen but I told you if you've been watching this uh talk of Champions podcast for the last week you should know by now I fully expect Prince lean Mellen to only be a pass rush specialist for at least the first three games now Pete Golding could come out and Prov me wrong and that won't be the first time because I'm no expert but that's what I've heard and he's one of them Brandon Turnage the most recent guest on the ivy league on the talk of Champions podcast Network go check that out Jared ivy the third-year star Defender for Old Miss uh interviewing Brandon Turnage one of the best ones I think so far my personal favorite so far Nate kelpo is in a black Jersey elyes Bentley has been in a black Jersey Caleb Warren juice Wells Jordan Watkins and that's even before you get to Deon Smith's absence more on that in a minute Lan Keens made clear his number one priority this season is getting his team to the opener against Ferman as healthy as possible so I think a lot of this could be cautionary just being as cautious as possible scaled back practices I mean even the ones in pads if if you ever get to go out there even the ones in pads they're not all that physical certainly not as physical by comparison to the old days whatever the old days were to you for me that was even two a days that doesn't happen anymore oh miss is operating like an NFL mini camp and that means priori prioritizing keeping the players healthy keeping them on the field so there's a lot of walking through a lot of mental reps and light conditioning off to the side especially for those Rebels they're being most cautious with dayquan Wright he was the Virginia Tech or is the Virginia Tech transfer tight end and he's one of those that they were very cautious with to start but now he's full go same with Diego pounds he they'd been cautious with him black Jersey just making sure he was right and then are you sure yeah let's double sure triple sure and then he comes back and he plays left tackle he's the transfer from North Carolina the depth of options is why I'm so bullish on Old Miss this season it's why I dismiss that typical we are miss defeatism out there by some not most just some still mostly my friends cuz I hadn't seen it on the OM missp omspirit.com and affili on3 sign up today if you haven't already more through texts passing conversations with everyday Old Miss fans on I don't know soccer fields gymnastics drop offs I had a close childhood friend of mine encyclopedic memory memorization of all Old Miss things arguing with me till he's red in the face Old Miss is going eight and4 and there're six toss-up games on its on its schedule I don't have time for this I don't have time for that old we are old mde feedism I don't miss me with that I'm done I've used the offensive line so far in doing this solo edition of talk of champ or version of Talk of Champions I've used the offensive line countless times as an example of the difference between these om Miss Rebels and those omus Rebels those omus Rebels that were even really good or memorable any mix of old Miss's double digigit linemen that they currently roster any mix of them would arguably be the best starting five Old Miss has run out in the modern era at least I mean Bobby Massie John Jerry and Brad my buddy Brad sa I mean that was a pretty gnarly Trio laramy tunel is the best player talent-wise to ever step foot on campus but one through five any way you slice it this Old Miss team as far as the offensive line goes but it's arguable in a lot of other places too is better I can count on out at least seven Next Level prospects in the offensive line along Julius buo Nate kelpo Diego pounds Jeremy James jquan Scott Caleb war and mik Pettis I could make cases for more like Jaden Williams he was actually again practice tidbits like this one he was starting over Diego pounds at left tackle this week and remember he started every single game as Old Miss Blindside protector as a red shirt freshman to years ago Caleb Warren is a three-year starter for Old Miss at Center but it's jerk Juan Scott save for the last couple of days who's been exclusively running with the first team there but jeruan Scott he's one of those black Jersey guys now too but I think a lot of is precautionary because Old Miss is built different Old Miss is built to contend it looks like that it looks like the number six team in the country and how it should look I remember 2012 going into that season and walking out on the field and the best player to start that year was Charles sawer and it was obvious they should be favored Old Miss should be favored in every game of Georgia so it's time for everyone fans media time to act like it number two anything om Miss gets from Deion Smith this season is a bonus I'm not with my friend Jake Adams of We Run The sip on X Twitter he thinks Deion Smith the whole situ situation with him it's shaping up to be the next toari Franklin we've all seen that Dion is finally on his way stuff and that movie over and over and each time it ended up with Deion Smith not showing up or just not showing up but not suiting up as an Miss rebel so while Bruce Feldman earlier this week Bruce Feldman of the athletic had us all believeing or maybe just hoping Miss plays football in two weeks Deon Smith told me back in June that he was on his way he told Zack Barry in July twice it's good I'm coming it's fine and now he said the same to Bruce or whoever it is what it is man I mean Dion's academic standing has been a nightmare for all parties to navigate since he left LSU two years ago here's what we know right now according to reporting from my buddy my guy the Old Miss OG media reporter The Godfather Chuck Ron on the OMP spirit.com according to Chuck this delay in Dion's arrival is not at the feet of om Miss in any way Miss has already approved everything and given Dion a thumbs up they're just waiting on confirmation from the school where he took the necessary online courses to verify everything on their inis kosher when that school says everything was done properly there is no red tapate to take care of on Old Miss's end when that school gives a thumbs up which Old Miss expects he will be cleared immed immediately we have been told those blaming Old Miss compliance or admissions would be mistaken it's natural to put that on them but in this case it's not an Old Miss problem so there you go look look look Old Miss has been on the verge of making fetch happen with Dion Smith since he left LSU two years ago whatever they get from him this year is a bonus at least early on I mean how could you not but the good news is the rebels again have depth of options Kaden Lee my breakout pick this season on offense he's had a stellar Camp truly an elite route Runner Aiden Williams has had a great Camp just like he did last year but the difference is he's the best option this time and Lane kein knows it and he's treating that him that way he's giving him more more of a leash more of a rope freshman wide receivers in particular don't have a great track record of getting on the field immediately that much under Lane K or if they do and they mess up it's hard to get back at least that's been certainly the case the last few years kayen Lee came on late last year Aiden Williams flashed at times but where he's really taken steps now is in the consistency specifically in his playmaking and that matters because their receiver most recruited to dip into his snapshare is De was Deion Smith and he's still in street clothes here's what Aiden Williams had to say after practice on Friday just entering year two obviously you kind of had up and down here last year just what kind of was your takeway from that and your your goals heading into fall Camp here well my goals going into fall Camp just get better every day work on something every day I come in here just get better at one thing and when you know it by the time the season come you going to have a better game than you had previously what you showed in the in the way kateen ended is here y'all seeing y'all's roles kind of expand or grow heading into year two uh yeah like our game is both grew like tremendously since from year one to year two not even really just like on the field really just knowledge wise like getting understanding like how the scheme Works understanding how we fit in the scheme things like that so yeah these first few weeks how's it been working with um McDonald oh coach McDonald has been real good I mean coach like he give us like great like great advice like we watching our RS and stuff he telling us what we went wrong how we could have fixed it like just great receiver coach advice I love coach GM you know just just getting your feet wet last uh last year but what what goals do you have for yourself this upcoming year and year two better than make it way better than it was year one it just goes get better like every day get better every game you mentioned um scheme feeling more comfortable what what was the biggest challenge for you kind of getting there um in in year one uh ID probably say the biggest challenge for me was just like all getting all the information and being locked in on every small key detail cuz that's what's going to win you ball games the small key details and stuff like that so when you really like just get a grasp with like the whole offense got time to sit there and learn it and get all the small details you'll be all right does the game feel slower to you than it did a year ago oh definitely starting to recognize coverages and things like that knowing where the ball probably going pre-nap or post Snap just based on the look that the defense give us what does it mean for you and Kaden both but most of you getting Trey and Jordan back one more year and just kind of being able to learn from them or feed off of them one more season knowledge like that's what we get every day in the me room knowledge like every day they passing on little Trey JW uh juice everybody in the room all the other guys they passing on knowledge and we just soaking it up that was Aiden Williams and we haven't even talked about Trey Harris yet and he might be the best player on this team Jordan Watkins is going to be solid as all get out again he's been in Black all spring and now all fall but Jordan Watkins is going to be he's a veteran he's a veterans veteran Isaiah Harr Jordan smart they had to get out they got to get out of the training room they got to get on the field I tell you who's really been intriguing who's flashed Nell white he's looked pretty good intriguing athleticism and explosion but again will we see much at all of nurel white the first few months history under kein says probably not so juice Wells is the key juice Wells was one of the sec's most dangerous and explosive players overall let alone wi receivers in 2022 health and durability is the question for juice Wells he opens up so many things if he's available if he's able to stay on the field because he can move around formation we talked about that with kayen Lee I think on the last show but juice Wells is proven that he's proof of concept with that cut lose like Elijah Moore did a more physical Elijah Moore because as good as Elijah was he wasn't running over anybody didn't have to break everybody's ankles but juice when he's healthy was a bigger stronger version of that he added a more physical element that then Elijah just doesn't have or didn't have so juice Wells is over there Cutting Loose like Elijah Moore all the while the brothers Caden Lee and prorn are attacking the seams Trey Harris beating man on the outside is the highest graded returning wide receiver against single coverage in the SEC so what does that mean for Aiden Williams it means he can settle in perfectly as the next brillan Sanders brillan was always down there somewhere when in doubt throw it down there brayan's down there somewhere but they were always explosive big gainers game turning catches Deon Smith was supposed to be the peak version of that Williams could be the difference is Deon Smith had the stripes on the wall he had the proof of concept but none of that means anything if he can't get out of street clothes number three I just don't know who old Miss's third running back is right now now here's where I want to start Logan Diggs he's a transfer running back from LSU hasn't practice yet he's working his way back from offseason knee surgery um there's at least some doubt that he's able to suit up at all this year but there's real optimism he does too so you got to be fair and balanced to that if he ever is healthy if he does make his way back onto the field I feel completely comfortable after viewing practices for now three full weeks in the limited time that we get those five periods a day but a healthy Logan Diggs returning would be absolutely gamechanging for old M no not season changing gamechanging like the difference between 11- two or 11- one and 10- two in playoff seating there's some Kool-Aid I can already read the message boards now Rashad Amos and Dominique Smith just haven't inspired a lot of confidence yet now ulyses Bentley is better than sto Connor ever was Jerry onely even Henry Parish who's now his backfield mate he averaged five yards of carry last year he was or is the highest grad of returning running back in the SEC according to Pro Football Focus om Miss will be every bit the title Contender not just Kool-Aid man but everyone is billing them to be if they can get 200 attempts out of ulyses Bentley but if he can't well then Henry parish is more than solid as a fallback option he's a variant of ulyses Bentley I'll be less explosive what's most likely though is yiss Bentley Henry Parish together combined for what 25 attempts a game so where will the additional 10 to 15 come from is om Miss comfortable right now giving those to Rashad Amos and or Dominic Smith I say no and Jackson Dart cannot carry the ball 120 times this year cannot happen Logan Diggs was hurt in LC's bowl game against Wisconsin he ran for 653 yards and seven touchdowns for the Tigers last season he had 822 rushing yards as a sophomore Notre Dame in 2022 and they need him number four to quote Anna from Frozen For the First Time in Forever linebacker depth isn't a concern we made it we all got here together guys because Chris poopa starter at Arkansas he's here to start take up most of those snaps that were vacated by Jeremiah Jee Baptist Monty Montgomery Ashanti cun all sec at Arkansas uh 137 total tackles 15 tackles for loss six sacks one force fumble three seasons at Arkansas so I'm not telling you anything you don't know when I say Chris Paul's going to be good that's not really breaking news but I've been as if not more but certainly super impressed with TJ doy he's in his second year at Old Miss after transferring in from Clemson and he looks like an allc caliber player certainly um a future NFL player he's everywhere if K Lee is my breakout pick for offense for ESS then yeah I'm going with TJ doy formerly Dudley as my pick on defense now I'd be tempted to go with sine Perkins another linebacker a sophomore former on three Five Star Plus Prospect those are the Elite of the elite recruits I think Sunter is going to be used like Harold Perkins but where LSU bizarrely tried to turn Perkins who's an elite level pass rusher into a more traditional linebacker to mixed at best results I think Pete golden is going to have Sunny P hunting quarterbacks across the formation not so much unlike Mar michah Parsons with my Dallas Cowboys another season Hope Springs Eternal but not so unlike that that kind of usage all that's holding Sunny P back Centurion Perkins back as I get the name correct hopefully that time is how skinny he is he's 210 listed at 210 he might be a little smaller but he could absolutely explode this year CU he's got all of it he's got every tool in the Box in the tool box he could explode if he keeps adding weight and can show that he can hold up over the grind of a potential 15 game schedule yeah see what I did and don't forget K Coleman his move from defensive end to linebackers he's more pass rusher than anything learning the nuances becoming a a linebacker and not just a situational pass rusher that's what he's trying to really turn himself into he's gotten better and better so there's more even more upside with Ki Coleman linebacker depth who knew number five The Vibes are immaculate knows it's a good football team but they're still at least in my opinion maybe this is the Kool-Aid again there's still a pervasive Underdog is cliche but Underdog is mentality that they're working with Lane kein has never been more comfortable in his own skin at least in our distant interactions with him I mean he's he's completely comfortable both as a person and a football sure seems like to me because almost is probably just a pit stop at first but it feels like a forever home now regardless of whether or not he retires here you know because Old Miss and Lan kein has been and will have been whenever it ends if it ends the perfect marriage of coaching school at the perfect time because it's obvious everywhere you turn I mean juice his dog is running around the practice field seemingly every practice with a camera on his back for Instagram hits Kens learned to stay out of the way where some of the others didn't learn that Hugh freeze was that he allows his position coaches to coach their positions without the constant meddling and interference they're the kings of their castles they own their space but he holds them account if it doesn't work or if they don't do their jobs he's moved on from coaches after one year multiple times here the days of Jackson Dart looking over his shoulder at quarterback are completely over there's no token Luke Alm competition there's no two division one transfers brought in to push him or just straight out take a spot Walker Howard one of those two last year is his backup Jackson Dart is a Heisman candidate the face of college football's most intriguing in my opinion title contenders Lan kein called Trey Harris his most improved player of camp and he was already a bitov award watch List member it just goes on and on and on and on om Miss football is right around the corner 14 days 15 if you're listening on Friday I don't know when this posts Old Miss football is right around the corner and when it arrives stick that chest out enjoy the ride and there's going to be some bumps and frustrations and let Downs inevitably there always are even when Eli went 10 and three he lost to Memphis and Texas Tech but these Rebels are built to win and content they look like it they know it and so far the plan fingers crossed and assuming that all is black jerseys are more cautious than anything to get them healthy to firm and to make sure that they're ready to go when the schedule gets tougher once September's gone cuz it's 49 cons to start then it's over the plan seems to be working they're built to go toe to- Toe with the nation's best so treat them that way because they're walking that way and talking that way and kickoff is coming just two Saturdays away so stay locked in the old missp omspirit.com and affili of on3 all the way up into the opening bell against Ferman uh we got you covered we talk om Sports and only Omen Sports if we can help it all day every day that's the omen spirit omspirit.com in affili 13 sign up today if you haven't already we'd love to have you talk of Champions is always brought to you by our friends at Riverland roofing for all your Roofing needs text or call Riverland Roofing today at 662 644 4297 that's 662 6444 N7 visit them online at Riverland roofing.com we'll see you back here in the Riverland Roofing Studio on Monday until then be good to each other God bless