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Hugh Freeze and the Ole Miss Rebels received a very nice early Christmas present on Wednesday afternoon.
Star DE Marquis Haynes took to Twitter — announcing that he will return for his senior season:
After talking with my parents and coach Freeze it's best that I return to school and play my senior season as an Ole Miss Rebel.
— Marquis Haynes (@MarquisHaynes98) December 14, 2016
The 6-foot-3, 222-pound junior from Florida was absolutely electric rushing off of the edge this past season. Haynes led the team with 7.0 sacks, 11.0 tackles-for-loss, 8 quarterback hurries, and 3 forced fumbles.
His quickness and athleticism gave SEC tackles fits. While he isn’t the prototypical NFL defensive end from a size standpoint, there’s no denying how talented he is. Haynes likely will have to demonstrate the ability to drop in coverage and function at times as a linebacker for the next level.
Regardless, this is a massive turn of events for Ole Miss. He was projected to leave for the professional ranks after the season. Haynes will now command a defense looking to bounce back from a tough 5-7 year.
