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With stadium renovations going on at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Ole Miss traded a nationally-televised spring game for one final indoor practice and scrimmage to wrap up its spring season.
Saturday’s 15th and final practice had to go on without quarterback Chad Kelly, one of the sure pieces returning in 2016. As expected, the Rebels defense limited the offense but the offense showed flashes of its new pieces.
Here are five takeaways from Ole Miss’ spring that ended without a TV bang.
HEIR-IN-WAITING SHEA PATTERSON WASTING NO TIME
Potential Heisman Trophy contender Chad Kelly missed the final week of practice after sports hernia surgery. That left freshmen Shea Patterson and Jason Pellerin leading the offense.
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said Patterson, a five-star early enrollee ranked as the top pro-style quarterback in the 2016 classs, has lived up to the billing faster than even he thought.
Saturday he perfectly placed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Quincy Adeboyejo in a small space between two defenders. He made the short throws and also quick reads. On a busted coverage he noticed TE Ty Quick open for a touchdown catch.
Pellerin showcased a big arm and threw the first touchdown of the day.
KELLY, FRESHMEN QBS HAVE PLENTY OF OPTIONS
With the NFL’s millions awaiting Laquon Treadwell and perhaps Cody Core, Ole Miss’ receiving corps is still plenty intact.
Van Jefferson, an Under Armour All-American, has admitted being disappointed and caught off guard that Ole Miss redshirted him as a freshman. Jefferson has potential to be the unit’s top producer.
The wait has paid off and so has the weight room. Jefferson is listed at 6-foot-2, 181 pounds. The crisp route runner worked with the ones in the slot this spring.
The 45-yard diving catch he made Saturday with starting corner Tony Bridges wrapped around him said two things about Jefferson. Not only is he a great route runner, he can be the Rebels’ top deep threat. He made the diving grab with the offense backed up at its own 2-yard line.
Jefferson was given the Eli Manning Award for the spring’s most improved player.
NAMES EMERGING ALONG DEFENSIVE LINE
The defense allowed some explosive plays Saturday but kept Ole Miss’ tempo offense — well, out of tempo — and in trouble on first down.
The defensive line will be under the microscope as soon as the season kicks off on Sept. 5 against Florida State in Orlando. Robert Nkemdiche’s departure left a gaping 6-foot-3, 294-pound hole.
After Saturday’s scrimmage, Freeze specifically mentioned senior DT D.J. Jones, sophomore DT Breeland Speaks and junior DE Marquis Haynes as players that produced consistent springs.
Haynes is coming off a team-high 16.5 tackles-for-loss and a team-high 10 sacks. He also forced three fumbles.
OFFENSE CAN BE EXPLOSIVE, PENDING THE O-LINE
The offensive line can make or break a team in the rough and tough SEC. Ole Miss is having to replace five contributors off of 2015’s Sugar Bowl-winning team.
In Freeze’s system, Kelly won’t have the ball in his hands very long unless he is running with it. Even so, the new-look line needs to give him time, as well as the backs time to improve on the Rebels’ middling SEC rushing attack.
Former five-star recruit Javon Patterson drew starts at guard as a freshman, part of a young squad that includes redshirt sophomore Sean Rawlings, who ran at center during spring.
The spring look at the line has been limited with versatile Robert Conyers and guard Rod Taylor sideline by injuries.
The biggest duty on the line belongs to five-star recruit Greg Little, who will be tasked with taking over for Laremy Tunsil. Little was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 3 recruit in the county. The guy he is replacing is likely to go first in the NFL draft.
SPEAKING OF INJURIES…
Husky corner Tony Conner wasn’t available for spring work as he recovers from knee surgery. When he returns to the secondary, he will start on a unit with which Freeze is already happy.
Saturday’s final scrimmage reavealed some third-down issues, a negative takeaway that highlights a need when fall practices resumes.
Young guys will fill the void left by Mike Hilton and Trae Elston (a combined 60 pass breakups and deflections in ’15) are versatile enough to move about as needed. Returning starters at cornerback Kendarius Webster and Tony Bridges were next in that stat line.
Following Saturday’s scrimmage, Freeze mentioned freshman DBs Myles Hartsfield and Greg Eisworth, junior DBs A.J. Moore and C.J. Hampton and redshirt freshman DB Armani Linton as players who got better as spring progressed.
