Ole Miss Dealing With Wide Receiver Injuries Ahead of Season Opener vs. Furman

The Ole Miss Rebels may be shorthanded at wide receiver on Saturday.

Oct 28, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) runs after a catch during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Ole Miss Rebels boast one of the top wide receiver rooms in the country this season, but they may be shorthanded in that regard in the season opener on Saturday against the Furman Paladins.

Head coach Lane Kiffin addressed the media on Monday, and one of his talking points centered on the mock game the team held over the weekend in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. A key takeaway for him from this "game" was the rushing attack, something he believes will be critical against Furman this week.

"We've got a lot of receiver injuries going into this first game, so the ability to run the ball is going to be very important in this game," Kiffin said.

Two receivers in particular who have dealt with injuries at times during fall camp are returning veteran Jordan Watkins and South Carolina transfer Juice Wells. Kiffin was asked directly about whether or not he expects to have these two wideouts on Saturday, and his answer was rather uncertain.

"I hope to, but I don't know that," Kiffin said.

Ole Miss has a wealth of talent at the wide receiver position this season. Tre Harris is another key name returning to the Rebels this season, and he led the team in receiving a year ago with nearly 1,000 yards despite battling some injury issues. There are also young pieces in the room like Cayden Lee and Ayden Williams, and Ole Miss recently added transfer Micah Davis from Utah State to the fold.

The Rebels and Paladins are scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.