Christmas Wishlist: Ole Miss Rebels Edition

With the holidays upon us, what do the Rebels want most as the year winds down?

Merry Christmas (Eve) and Happy Holidays from everyone at The Grove Report.

The Ole Miss Rebels will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Dec. 28 in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, but there is plenty that the Rebels would like to have this holiday season. With the bowl game still days away, let's take a look at what Ole Miss is asking Saint Nicholas for this winter.

1. A Bowl Game Win

Ole Miss lost its final three games of the regular season in 2022, and rumors around Lane Kiffin's future in Oxford towards the end of the campaign dampened a lot of the momentum that the football program had established earlier in the fall.

Bowl games, generally speaking, don't mean much these days. Opt outs and less pressure in determining a national champion have lessened the impact of many of these postseason contests. For Ole Miss, however, a win in this one could help reestablish some of that lost momentum heading into the offseason. This is a box that Lane Kiffin needs to check off in the middle of next week.

2. A Backup Quarterback for Jaxson Dart

With Luke Altmyer in the transfer portal and the de-commitment of Marcel Reed, Ole Miss is without a sure answer at QB2 entering the offseason. This answer will likely come out of the transfer portal, but finding a quarterback in the portal who is willing to serve as a backup is far from a certainty.

If football has taught us anything, it's that a reliable backup quarterback is needed for every team. Ole Miss needs one of those before next season kicks off.

3. A Strong Recruiting Finish in February

This recruiting class for Lane Kiffin is incomplete.

To make sweeping judgements on this class after the early signing period would be foolish considering his reliance on the transfer portal. Ole Miss acquired some strong pieces on Wednesday and later in the week, but getting some more production in February would be a welcome sight for Rebel fans as well.

4. Some Form of Momentum in Men's Basketball

Let's not mince words here: this week's loss to North Alabama for Kermit Davis' squad was unacceptable if this team has postseason aspirations.

The Lions entered the game towards the bottom of the nation in NET rankings, and that loss at home is a massive blow if the Rebels are unable to rattle off a multitude of wins in conference play in a brutal SEC slate.

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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