'We're All Learning': Ole Miss DL JJ Pegues Confident in Pete Golding Scheme

Returning players and recent transfers are in the same boat when it comes to learning Ole Miss' new defense.

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels are churning through spring practices, and their new-look defense coached by newly hired defensive coordinator Pete Golding looks a little sharper each day.

Ole Miss entered the spring with the No. 6 transfer portal class which is great because the Rebels replenished their ranks, but that also means that players need time to get adjusted to new schemes and playcalling.

For the defense, however, both returning players and new transfers have been getting a crash course on new defensive schemes since Golding was hired in January.

Ole Miss senior defensive lineman JJ Pegues spoke with the media after practice on Tuesday and discussed how everyone has adjusted to Golding's defense.

"We're all learning a new defense," Pegues told reporters. "We're really just getting to know each other and trying to mesh different [playstlyes] like we did last year. It'll take time because it's a new defense, but we're showing our talents and we're playing good football."

One of the new transfers who has caught the eye of Pegues is senior defensive lineman Joshua Harris. The presence of the 6-foot-4, 325-pound defensive tackle will help clear up passing lanes for Pegues and simultaneously fill up opponents' rushing lanes. Pegues talked about what Harris does well and how much it helps to have a player like him on the same defensive line.

"Just being a big body, an interior dog, and using his hands really good," Pegues said. "He's got great footwork with his pass rush and he levels out the passing lane. He does a really good job with small things like communicating... he picks up on things really fast."

The Oxford, Miss., native gave his first impressions on Golding as a coordinator with a couple of weeks of practice under his belt. 

"[Golding] brings a lot of different schemes," Pegues said. "He goes from three-down, to four-down, to odd, and odd directionals. We run a lot of outside blitzes and he really just believes in us and wants us to be vocal out [on the field]. He wants to allow us to play."

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