The Grove Report

Ole Miss Rebels 2023 Grove Bowl: Preview/What to Watch For

Ole Miss' annual spring game is set to take place on Saturday afternoon.

Ben King

In this story:

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels are set to take the field in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday for the annual Grove Bowl in the culmination of spring practices, and there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on.

It was another busy offseason of recruiting via the NCAA Transfer Portal for Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. The "Portal King" brought in reinforcements on defense, offensive weapons, and two more signal callers, creating the most popular quarterback competition in college football.

We have an exciting afternoon of Ole Miss football on tap, so here is everything you need to know for Saturday.

The Grove Bowl is set to kick off at 2 p.m. CT in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and can be streamed on ESPN+/SECN+ (via the ESPN app).

The game will consist of four 15-minute quarters with a running clock and a normal scoring format. The final four minutes of each half will have a clock stoppage. There will be no kickoffs, and the ball will be spotted at the 30-yard line.

Ole Miss announced the rosters and staff assignments on Friday, which can be viewed here, and you can find out how to watch the spring game here. 

Storylines/Players to Watch:

1. The Quarterback Competition

There is no better competition to keep an eye on than the three-way battle between quarterbacks Jaxson Dart, Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard. All three of these signal-callers signed with other programs out of high school and have transferred to Oxford in the last two seasons.

Sanders transferred to Oxford this offseason from the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and Howard also joined the ranks from the LSU Tigers. Dart joined the Rebels last offseason from the USC Trojans and won the quarterback battle over Luke Altmyer during the 2022 season.

Dart was named a Captain for the red team while Sanders was voted a Captain for blue team, and both will likely start the game under center for their squads. Howard may get a shot on both rosters as he was listed as a quarterback for red and blue. 

2. New-Look Defense

The Rebels made a splash when they hired former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Pete Golding in January, and fans will finally get a chance to see his defense in action on Saturday.

Kiffin gave Golding plenty of talent to work with thanks to the transfer portal, including linebackers Monty Montgomery and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, defensive lineman Josh Harris, cornerback Zamari Walton, and safety John Saunders.

The linebacker competition between Montgomery, Jean-Baptiste, and returning starters Ashanti Cistrunk and Khari Coleman will be the most intriguing storyline to follow on defense.

Veteran defensive linemen Jared Ivey, JJ Pegues, and Cedric Johnson will all operate in the trenches for the blue team against a red team offensive line that is full of experience.

3. Offensive Weapons 

A player everyone should be watching on Saturday is running back Quinshon Judkins as he returns from leading the Southeastern Conference in multiple rushing categories as a true freshman.

Fans should also be on the lookout for transfer wideouts Chris Marshall and Tre Harris, two of the most sought-after players in the portal this offseason. It will also be intriguing to see former Memphis tight end Caden Prieskorn in action, who hauled in seven touchdowns for the Tigers last fall.

You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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Ben King
BEN KING

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