Texas A&M Aggies vs. Ole Miss Rebels: Defensive Playmakers to Watch in Week 10

Three rising seniors make up the best of Ole Miss' defensive playmakers this season, and all three will have their sights set on forcing turnovers and killing the Aggies' momentum when the two schools meet in early November.
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Offense isn't the only important aspect of a football matchup — especially one as competitive as the SEC. 

So, when the Texas A&M Aggies take the field in Week 10 against Ole Miss, they'll need to watch for the Rebels' explosive offensive playmakers, while making sure to avoid their top defenders as well. Doing both isn't an easy to-do, but if the Aggies want to fly home victorious, they'll have to.

Luckily, the Aggies have plenty of offensive weapons to use against Ole Miss, including a stacked receiving corps and a three-deep running back room. That doesn't mean they won't make mistakes, however. 

If and when that does happen in Oxford, the Rebels will be looking to take advantage of the Aggies' mishaps on defense especially.

So, here are three Ole Miss playmakers for Texas A&M to keep watch of: 

Ole Miss Rebels
Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back Myles Hartsfield (15) makes the Landshark sign after a play during the second quarter of the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium / Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

FS Isheem Young

Young brings a strong talent of taking down receivers to the table. Last season with the Rebels, the former Iowa State Cyclone recorded 66 tackles and an interception, making him the team's leading returning tackler. Young's talent is unquestioned, though his stat sheet has seen a significant decrease, but that doesn't mean he isn't a weapon in the Rebels' secondary — especially if Max Johnson and the Aggies aren't careful.

LB Khari Coleman

Coleman, like Young, is set to be a big leader for the Rebels next season. His career trajectory puts him a very similar boat to his free-safety counterpart, even down to the number of years he's spent in Oxford. After transferring to Ole Miss from TCU, Coleman made his presence felt on the line immensely. The rising senior tallied 4.5 sacks, pressuring opposing quarterback's many more times than that, and has done so again this season, tallying 2.5 through eight games. He isn't the leading sack leader for the Rebels, but when he gets in the backfield, it matters. He's racked up 29 sack yards and will undoubtedly be looking to give Max Johnson a difficult time in the backfield.

CB Deantre Prince

Like his two other teammates, Prince is also a rising senior set to be a leader next season. He breaks the trend as far as transferring goes, but that's also what sets him apart on the field. With three full seasons at Ole Miss behind him, Prince knows the scheme and the team better than any, and this season, that's shown. Prince has nabbed an interception through eight games, and leads the Rebels in return yards, so again, if Johnson doesn't think through his passes, he could be watching a streaking Prince heading back the other way.


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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.