Three Blue Raiders to Watch in Saturday's Matchup vs. Ole Miss

Who could cause some problems for this Ole Miss team in the matchup against MTSU?

Middle Tennessee quarterback Nicholas Vattiato (11) passes the ball during the football game against Tennessee Tech at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Week 2 of the college football season is right around the corner, and the Ole Miss Rebels look to start the 2024 campaign 2-0 as they play host to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday.

The Rebels come into the game as a heavy favorite, but the Blue Raiders should present a tougher test than the Furman Paladins did last week.

Middle Tennessee State survived a close one at home last week against in-state FCS Tennessee Tech, but a couple of Blue Raiders did stand out in that come-from-behind win. Let's take a look at some impact players for MTSU.

QB--Nicholas Vattiato

Vattiato has been the starter at quarterback for the Blue Raiders since his redshirt sophomore year where he started in all 12 games for MTSUs.

He is a playmaker and proved that in helping his team when they needed it the most in the comeback win over Tennessee Tech.

Vattiato doesn't have the talent of some of the SEC QBs, but he is a gamer and can will his team to victory. It should be an exciting test for this Rebels' secondary containing him. He threw for over 200 yards, one touchdown and one interception on Saturday.

WR--Omari Kelly

Kelly was the hero of the Tech game as a big catch on fourth down kept the Blue Raiders' hopes alive. Kelly is a transfer from Auburn who saw the field a lot on special teams but hit the portal to find a bigger role.

Kelly should be another good test for this Rebels' secondary who played well last week but had a couple of mental lapses in the big win over Furman on Saturday. He finished Saturday's game with 47 receiving yards.

TE--Holden Willis

Willis was an All-CUSA player in 2023 and might be the best tight end in Conference USA. Like Kelly, Willis is a transfer from USF where he saw little action before entering the portal.

The Rebels' defense has seen some good tight end play throughout fall camp with Caden Prieskorn and Dae'Quan Wright, but we will see if Willis gives the Rebels any trouble. He had two receptions for 32 yards last week, 25 of which came on a single catch.