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Offseasons don’t come any better around the Ole Miss program than holding trophies from the Egg, Sugar and Magnolia bowls.
Fueled by that star-studded 2013 recruiting class, the Rebels are on an ascent not seen in recent memory. Now that those players have largely departed, Ole Miss has turned from a regional school in the middle to the bottom of the SEC West, into a Top 10 program over multiple seasons.
ON-FIELD PERFORMANCE
SEC standing: Near the top.
Grade: A
In 2011, the Rebels were 2-10 and winless in the SEC. Coach Hugh Freeze has led the program to a better win total each season since arriving in 2012. The most recent season ended with a bowl thumping of Oklahoma State. While the Rebels’ 10-3 season was highlighted by a second consecutive win over Alabama, the Rebels also stumbled against Florida, Memphis and Arkansas.
Looking ahead to 2016, the Rebels appear to have a running-back-by committee approach in returning backups Akeem Judd and Jordan Wilkins, who in 2015 combined for seven touchdowns and 800 rushing yards. Of course, that doesn’t include Chad Kelly’s contributions as a runner.
Kelly is the cornerstone, of course. And while depth could be an issue in case of injury following offseason departures of DeVante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan, Kelly is coming off one of the best seasons in SEC history. He threw for 4,042 passing yards and 31 touchdowns, joining Tim Couch and Johnny Manziel as the only SEC QBs to top 4,000 yards in a season.
RECRUITING
SEC standing: Near the top.
2016 rank: No. 6 nationally, No. 3 in SEC
Grade: A
Ole Miss landed its best class ever, and second Top 10 recruiting class since 2013. The No. 1 quarterback in the country, Shea Patterson, is an early enrollee and heir apparent to Kelly, who has one season remaining, while the No. 1 offensive tackle, Greg Little is another crown jewel.
Though the Rebels landed a top five wide receiver, A.J. Brown from Starkville, they lost out on a five-star DE Jeffery Simmons and four-star JUCO LB in David Luafatasaga.
Brown is among three four-star receivers Ole Miss added in the class, which also includes five-star in DT Benito Jones. Perhaps under-the-radar a bit, the program added depth at offensive line with four three-star prospects and four-star OT Bryce Mathews.
The biggest statement on National Signing Day may have gone unspoken. It was the Ole Miss has developed a program that consistently brings in a top 10 class, and is not necessarily bound by the level of in-state talent.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
SEC standing: Near the top.
Grade: B+
For all that was said about the 2013 recruiting class, the coaching staff largely kept it together and it lived up to, or even in some cases, exceeded expectations. While the 2016 draft class is expected to be one for the ages, Ole Miss only had one player, CB Senquez Golson, selected in the 2015 NFL draft. And two years ago, only WR Donte Moncrief was taken.
No coaching staff changes this cycle also helps establish a level of continuity.
While Kelly’s turnaround could have happened between Clemson and Ole Miss when he was dogged by off-the-field issues, the coaching staff kept Kelly on the straight and narrow.
Safety C.J. Hampton, expected to anchor the 2016 defense, was inserted into the lineup in early October as the coaching staff moved Mike Hilton and Trae Elston in a shakeup before the New Mexico State game.
FACILITIES
SEC standing: As good as any program.
Grade: A
The $18 million Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center opened in 2004 but received a $12.5 million renovation and expansion two years ago. That added a full kitchen and dining hall and boasts a nutrition center. The 10,000 square-foot weight room was expanded by 2,000 square feet. There are 132 lockers, and in-ground hydrotherapy pools with submersible treadmills and video-monitoring equipment.
Last season, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium benefitted from a $150 million capital campaign that added 30 luxury suites, while others were refinished and 770 club level seats arrived. Expected to come this season are a “front door” area with a bell tower, plaza and green space.
The north end zone is being closed in and the new capacity of the stadium will be 64,038.
Previously, the stadium saw a video board upgrade in 2008, FiedTurf synthetic grass in 2009, and two on-field suites with a team halftime locker room in 2013.
COACHING
SEC standing: Near the top.
Grade: A
Hugh Freeze and his staff all received raises following consecutive New Year’s Six bowl games, as the head coach nearly makes $5 million per year, the Clarion-Ledger reported. The assistant coaches’ salary pool grew to $4.26 million combined.
Freeze has led Ole Miss to four consecutive bowl games, and he’s the first Ole Miss coach to do it in his first four seasons.
Freeze is now the eighth-highest paid coach in the country.
Coordinator continuity puts Ole Miss in a class by itself in the SEC, as offensive coordinator Dan Werner and defensive coordinator Dave Wommack have been at their positions since Ole Miss hired Freeze in 2012.
Matt Luke has been the Ole Miss offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator the past four years. It seems Freeze has found the elusive formula of quality, experienced assistants who are not looking to find a promotion or become a head coach.
In the past two years, there have been 27 new coordinators in the SEC.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
