Predicting Post-Spring Depth Chart For Ole Miss Offense

With spring ball in the rearview, it is time to predict the post-spring depth chart for the Ole Miss Rebels.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the Ole Miss Grove Bowl Games at Vaught-Hemingway / Bruce Newman/Special to the Clarion

OXFORD, Miss. – Spring practices are over, and while there still may be one or two more transfers rolling in, the Ole Miss Rebels’ roster is pretty much set for the 2024 college football season. Lane Kiffin and his staff bolstered an already talented roster with the No. 3 transfer portal class and the No. 20 signing class in the nation, but who is making the starting lineup?

Over the next couple of days, I will do my best to predict Ole Miss’ depth chart post-spring practices.

Below are my depth chart predictions for the Ole Miss offense in 2024.

Quarterback

Starter: Jaxson Dart SR/TR

Backup: Walker Howard RS SO/TR

Key Depth: Austin Simmons SO; AJ Maddox FR

We might as well start with the most important position on the field, and obviously, Jaxson Dart is going to be starting under center for the Rebels come Week 1. Deciding QB1 this season is a no-brainer, but choosing a backup is where things get interesting. Walker Howard transferred in from LSU ahead of the 2023 season, while Simmons reclassified to the 2023 recruitment cycle and flipped his commitment from Florida to join Ole Miss’ quarterback room last summer.

Both quarterbacks are unknown anomalies, as Howard only has eight career passing attempts to his name, and Simmons has not even seen the field yet. Howard has been around the game longer, so I am going to tab him as the backup, but Simmons has insane potential and will eventually be the starter at Ole Miss if he sticks around. The one concern for me regarding Simmons is the state of his arm. The freshman southpaw has been seeing action out of the bullpen for Ole Miss baseball this spring, but unfortunately had to leave a game early due to an elbow injury recently.

If Simmons is cleared and good to go by the time fall camp rolls around, the competition for the backup spot should ramp up. He may not see the field in 2024, but fans should also remember the name AJ Maddox for future seasons. The former four-star recruit out of Hattiesburg, Miss., was the only quarterback Ole Miss signed in the 2024 cycle.

Running Back

Starter: Ulysses Bentley IV SR/TR

Backup: Henry Parrish SR/TR

Key Depth: Logan Diggs, SR/TR; Jacory Croskey-Merritt SR/TR

The Quinshon Judkins era has officially closed in Oxford, as the tailback packed his bags and transferred to Ohio State in January. This was Ole Miss’ only significant loss this offseason, but it left Kiffin with a predicament: who will replace the No. 1 running back in the SEC from the last two seasons?

The solution to the problem is returning senior Ulysses Bentley IV. Bentley transferred to Ole Miss ahead of the 2022 season but only appeared in six games due to injury. He got his chance to shine as Judkins’ primary backup in 2023 and made the most of his touches. The 5-11, 200-pound tailback averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 95 attempts, rushing for 540 yards and four touchdowns. Bentley was also a receiving threat out of the backfield, as he racked up 87 yards and one touchdown on 11 receptions.

Henry Parrish returned to Ole Miss this offseason after spending the last two seasons with Miami, and I predict that he will be the Rebels’ primary backup in 2024. In four seasons, the senior has rushed for 2,057 yards and 15 touchdowns while also reeling in 384 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 56 catches. The 5-10, 190-pound tailback is familiar with Kiffin and his offense, so we will likely see plenty of him in 2024.

Transfers Logan Diggs and Jacory Croskey-Merritt will also be in the picture this season. Diggs is coming off a knee injury, but Croskey-Merritt rushed for 1,190 yards and a whopping 17 touchdowns on 189 attempts while averaging 6.3 yards per carry in 2023.

Wide Receiver

WR-X: Tre Harris RS SR/TR

WR-Z: Antwane “Juice” Wells SR/TR

WR-Slot: Jordan Watkins SR/TR

Backups: Ayden Williams SO; Cayden Lee SO; Devin Price SR/TR

Key Depth: Noreel White FR

The Rebels lost Dayton Wade to the NFL this offseason, but they found a more than capable replacement in the transfer portal. Antwane “Juice” Wells was one of the most polarizing receivers in the SEC in 2022, as he hauled in 928 yards and six touchdowns on 68 receptions while adding on 10 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on three carries. Unfortunately, injuries hampered the former James Madison standout in 2023 and he only appeared in three games. A healthy season in one of the most talented receiving corps in the nation should help Wells reach his 2022 form again.

Unsurprisingly, Dart’s go-to option in the passing game will once again be Tre Harris, and returning senior Jordan Watkins will spend a lot of time in the slot, but he and Wells may rotate on occasion. Sophomores Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee are listed as backups, but they should see the field a lot more in 2024.

Tight End

Starter: Caden Prieskorn RS SR/TR

Backup: Dae’Quan Wright JR/TR

Key Depth: Hudson Wolfe JR; Dillon Hipp FR

With Michael Trigg transferring to Baylor this spring, Caden Prieskorn is the undisputed starting tight end entering Week 1 for Ole Miss. The 6-5, 255-pound tight end only appeared in eight games last season due to injury, but he saved his best performance for the Peach Bowl when he hauled in 136 yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions. If Prieskorn can stay healthy in 2024, expect to see more stat lines like this.

Left Tackle

Starter: Diego Pounds JR/TR

Backup: Jayden Williams JR

Left Guard

Starter: Nate Kalepo SR/TR

Backup: Brycen Sanders FR/RS

Center

Starter: Caleb Warren SR

Backup: Reece McIntyre SR

Right Guard

Starter: Julius Buelow SR/TR

Backup: Gerquan Scott SR/TR

Right Tackle

Starter: Micah Pettus JR

Backup: Jeremy James SR

Key Offensive Line Depth: Preston Cushman SO; Jude Foster FR; Ethan Fields RS/FR; Eli Acker SR; Cam East SO