Rebels D-Line's Success 'All Starts' With Coach Randall Joyner

The Ole Miss Rebels have found something in defensive line coach Randall Joyner, who has the unit primed for another big year.

The Ole Miss Rebels defensive front accounted for 62 percent of its 35 sacks last season.

The Rebels have some star power in the room that made up the third-highest sack rate in the Southeastern Conference last season, and after Saturday's scrimmage that gave all the signal-callers fits, Ole Miss' ability to get after the quarterbacks hasn't wavered from last season to now.

Defensive tackle Joshua Harris, who transferred in from North Carolina State in the offseason, has one person to credit for their success.

"It all starts with our coach, Coach (Randall) Joyner," Harris said. "He holds us to a high standard, and, at times, it can get irritating but in the back of my head I'm like, 'I need it. Keep it going.' I feel like it started with him."

From 2013-20, Ole Miss has finished seventh or better in the SEC in sacks just once (2020). However, in the two years that Joyner has been coaching the unit, the Rebels have finished third both times with 40 and 35 sacks in 2021-22, respectively.

Joyner has unlocked something within this defensive line unit that now is one of the most ferocious in the conference. Whether it's how he teaches or what he teaches, or just the fact that Ole Miss might have better players than it did at the time, we don't necessarily know.

The ones who would know are the ones who will put their hand in the dirt when the Rebels take the field against Mercer Sept. 2: Harris, Cedric Johnson, JJ Pegues and Jared Ivey.

"Ced, JJ, we got two of the best pass-rushers in the SEC, Jared Ivey," Harris said. "We got after the quarterback, so I guess just keeping him contained is one thing we need to work on, but I think their pass rush lanes were pretty good."

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