2007 Ole Miss Running Rebels Football Picks & Predictions
2006 quarterback Brent Shaeffer said his first season at Ole Miss was the worst experience of his career. He might not even get a chance to make up for his woes. This senior, who led an offense that finished last in almost every statistical category in SEC play, isn’t assured of a starting job in the fall. Fellow senior Seth Adams, a former walk-on who replaced Schaeffer in the second half of the final two games, made a positive impression working with the first-team offense in the spring.
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He will have many players with experience if Adams gets the starting job on offense. The Rebels return nine starters on this side of the ball including BenJarvis Green-Ellis who rushed for 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in 2006. He will be running behind a veteran line that returns four starters, including left tackle Michael Oher and promising sophomore John Jerry.
Big contributors return at the wide receiver positions. Junior Mike Wallace is the most experienced, but there are high hopes for second-year players Marshay Green and Shay Hodge. Dexter McCluster, who was a big-play threat early before sidelined by a bone-crushing hit on a kickoff return, is now back. Now they just have to find out who will be throwing them the rock and how effective that play caller will be.
Head coach Ed Orgeron hired long-time coordinator John Thompson to run his defense. Orgeron will still have a big say in what happens with the defense and their 4-3 scheme should remain the same. Thompson has added a few wrinkles to strengthen his group. The tough task will be replacing five of seven starters in the back seven, including All-American linebacker Patrick Willis.
Sophomore Jonathan Cornell manned the middle in the spring, but could shift to the outside with the arrival of Tony Fein as a Junior college transfer from Scottsdale, Arizona. The secondary will be led by veteran strong safety Jamarca Sanford. Free safety Kendrick Lewis, a converted receiver, and cornerbacks Dustin Mouzon and Cassius Vaughn have their sights set on starting jobs. The only area with any depth is the defensive line, which was plagued by injuries all of last season. Sophomore ends Marcus Tillman and Greg Hardy lead this group. Defensive tackles Peria Jerry and Jeremy Garrett are trying to finally stay healthy after missing a combined 10 games in 2006.
Kicking duties are solid for Ole Miss with sophomore Josh Shene converting on 14 of 17 field goal attempts as a freshman. Orgeron has tried to stockpile talent and bring a winner to Oxford for the past two seasons. He is highly regarded for his recruiting prowess, but needs to make a big stride in his third year as coach to recruit more believers. An improved passing offense and a new-look defense could be enough to get the Rebels bowl eligible for the first time since 2003. But a lack of depth might be their downfall again in 2007.
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