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In 2013, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze brought four five-star and seven four-star recruits to Oxford for what was a historic Rebels recruiting class.
The quartet of five stars — defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and defensive back Tony Conner — have all played crucial roles for Ole Miss the last two years. They’re now juniors soon facing the decision to return to school or enter the NFL.
But they aren’t the only members of the Rebels’ 2013 class that have become major contributors.
Former four-star quarterback Ryan Buchanan and former three-star quarterback DeVante Kincade both found themselves competing with Chad Kelly for the starting job this season. Although Kelly has been named the starter, Buchanan and Kincade both saw plenty of action in the Rebels’ first two games and could see more moving forward in certain situations.
Wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo and tight end Evan Engram were both three-star recruits out of the 2013 class that have emerged as starters and playmakers on the Ole Miss offense. Fadol Brown, unrated because he transferred from Florida International in 2013, is now an impactful starter on the Rebels’ stout defensive front.
As mentioned before, several players from this vaunted class will be playing on Sundays next year, while others return for their senior seasons. But regardless of which players do what, it appears this will be the 2013 recruiting class’ last season all together in Oxford.
As a result, we decided to follow the members of the 2013 class and how they play throughout the Rebels’ season by noting standout performances from them. Here’s how they did in the Rebels’ 37-24 Week 7 loss to Memphis:
ROBERT NKEMDICHE, DL
Unfortunately for the Rebels, their plan of using Nkemdiche as a running back in short-yardage and goal-line situations finally backfired as the 6-foot-5, 293-pounder suffered a concussion while carrying the ball in Week 7. To make matters worse, Nkemdiche was also stuffed for no yards on the 3rd-and-1 attempt. Nkemdiche’s injury occurred in the second quarter and he did not record a tackle before then.
LAREMY TUNSIL, LT
Tunsil was held out of this game due to an ongoing NCAA investigation regarding alleged contact between Tunsil and sports agents. This was the seventh and final game that Tunsil will be held out for this reason. The All-American left tackle is expected to return to action and make his season debut on Oct. 24 against Texas A&M.
LAQUON TREADWELL, WR
Treadwell was by far the Rebels’ leading receiver, finishing the game with 14 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown. Treadwell also showed off his arm in this game by throwing Ole Miss’ first touchdown of the game. He connected with fellow starting wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo for 68 yards to put the Rebels up 7-0 early in the first quarter.
JORDAN WILKINS, RB
The Ole Miss running game really struggled against Memphis. Wilkins was out-carried 7-6 by Jaylen Walton, but neither runner was particularly effective. Wilkins actually spent most of his carries going the wrong direction, finishing with just 5 yards total on the ground.
EVAN ENGRAM, TE
Engram had 4 receptions for 24 yards as Ole Miss fans continue to wait for his breakout performance this season. Engram entered the year as one of the most respected tight ends in the SEC, but he has had little impact on the Rebels offense through the first seven games.
QUINCY ADEBOYEJO, WR
After catching the 68-yard touchdown pass from Treadwell, Adeboyejo only had 1 more catch for 26 yards. Clearly, Adeboyejo can stretch the field, but he obviously has a nose for the end zone as well. Adeboyejo now has 6 touchdowns through the Rebels’ first seven games of the season.
FADOL BROWN, DE
Brown had one of his better games of the year in Week 7 against Memphis. He accounted for 1 of the Rebels’ 2 sacks and finished the game with 6 total tackles — his 2nd-highest total in a single game this season. His sack was his first of the year.
Pat Donohue is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @SportsDownPat.
