2006 Rebel Football Season Outlook

Installing a new offensive scheme and getting the best players on the field at the same time highlighted Coach Ed Orgeron's second spring football practice at Ole Miss. For the most part, Orgeron was pleased with the outcome, both from a coaching standpoint and from the results he saw on the field as a number of players were moved to new positions to better utilize their talents.

Following last year's disappointing 3-8 season, Orgeron made some key changes in his staff with the addition of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dan Werner, associate head coach/offensive line coach Art Kehoe, tight ends coach Hugh Freeze and linebackers coach David Saunders. Werner and Kehoe came on board from Miami, Freeze claimed an on-the-field coaching assignment after serving on Orgeron's staff last year as Assistant Athletics Director for External Affairs and Saunders was the head coach at Millsaps College. Freeze is also serving as recruiting coordinator.

"I'm really pleased with the progress that Dan Werner made with the offense," Orgeron said. "He brought a lot of organization and a new offense that is really going to help us more in our two-back sets and in the power game. Our offensive line is more aggressive and playing with enthusiasm. Art Kehoe is a tremendous football coach and brings a lot of intensity to our staff.

"Hugh Freeze is also a tremendous coach and his work with the tight ends went really well this spring. We're looking for a lot of production out of the tight ends next season. David Saunders is going to be a great linebacker coach and he loves to be at Ole Miss and we love his enthusiasm."

Although the Rebels return 37 lettermen, including five starters on offense and five on defense, Orgeron's "etched in sand" philosophy when it comes to the depth chart remains, and a number of those returning starters were moved to new positions in the spring.

After last year's team struggled with offensive production, a number of those changes came in the offensive line. Sophomore Michael Oher, who started at right guard during his true freshman season in 2005, was moved to left tackle in the spring, and junior Darryl Harris, last year's starting center, emerged as the new starter at right tackle. Senior Andrew Wicker retained his left guard starting spot.

Junior Thomas Eckers, who started three games last season at left guard, entered preseason as the starting center, but that spot may not be settled since junior college transfer Corey Actis worked with the ones and twos during spring drills. Sophomore David Traxler, who drew two starts at left guard a year ago, was switched to left tackle to back up Oher. Sophomore Maurice Miller and senior James McCoy remain in a battle for the right guard starting spot, with Miller listed No. 1 coming out of spring. Redshirt freshman Reid Neely, junior Marcus Cohen and sophomore Paul Hurd are also in the offensive line mix.

Starters in the offensive line who had to be replaced included tackles Bobby Harris and Tre' Stallings and tight end Jimmy Brooks.
Another change of note on offense was junior Robert Lane's move from quarterback to tight end. Lane played a number of different offensive positions last season and started the Wyoming game at quarterback and the Kentucky and Mississippi State games at fullback.

"Robert Lane is going to be a tremendous football player for us," Orgeron said. "He's tough, he's competitive, he can catch the football and he can do something with it after he catches it."

Although new to the position, Lane's emergence from the spring as the starting tight end came as no surprise, and Werner's offensive scheme used at Miami emphasizes the use of the tight end.

"Just look at the great tight ends they've had at Miami, including some first-round draft choices," Orgeron said. "We're going to throw the football to the tight ends this year and use all of the playmakers that we have on offense. Robert Lane is a playmaker."

With Lane still learning the position, the Rebels do return tight end experience in junior Robert Hough and senior Lawrence Lilly. Hough started four games at tight end last season and Lilly started three games in 2004.

At tailback, the Rebels return sophomore Mico McSwain, who started last year and was the team's leading rusher. McSwain was having a productive spring, but missed the final two weeks with a chest injury.

The spring also offered an opportunity to take the wraps off junior BenJarvus Green-Ellis who sat out last year after transferring from Indiana where he rushed for 1,732 yards over two years and was one of the top running backs in the Big Ten Conference. Green-Ellis vaulted to the top of the depth chart by showing excellent ability to run both inside and outside.

"BenJarvus had a great spring and received our Most Improved Offensive Player Award," Orgeron said. "He's really a tough, hard-nosed tailback that we can count on every down. Mico gives you the flash you need, BenJarvus gives you the thunder. I think we have an excellent combination there, and we may be able to play Mico at the wide receiver spot."

Another player who could figure in the running back plans is junior college transfer Bruce Hall who was signed as a quarterback, but moved to running back during the early stages of spring drills. "Bruce Hall was a surprise this spring," Orgeron said. Junior Hiram White provides additional depth.

Sophomore Jason Cook returns as the starting fullback after missing the final half of last season with a broken arm, while several newcomers are expected to be in the mix during August practice.

After losing four veteran receivers (starters Taye Biddle and Mario Hill, plus Mike Espy and Matt Pierce), Ole Miss entered spring drills with junior Carlos Suggs being the only returning wide receiver to have caught a pass in a game, and that was only one reception for no yards. Rebuilding the wide receiver corps was a top priority, but the Rebels will head into preseason workouts still attempting to solidify the position.

Freshman Marshay Green, who joined the program in January as a running back, kick returner and punt returner, was moved to wide receiver and used his speed and catching ability to come out of spring drills as the No. 1 flanker. Sophomore Mike Wallace ended spring as the No. 1 split end, with Suggs backing him up. Redshirt freshman Michael Hicks could also figure in the mix.

Senior Keith Houston is still relatively new to the wide receiver position, having switched from tight end late last season.
Orgeron, who put together a Top-10 recruiting class last February, is quick to point out that a number of incoming signees will figure big when it comes to rebuilding the wide receiver corps.

The Rebels used three different starting quarterbacks (Micheal Spurlock, Ethan Flatt and Robert Lane) last season, but that will not be the case in 2006 as Orgeron has already named junior college transfer Brent Schaeffer as the starter. Schaeffer, who started at Tennessee as a true freshman in 2004, passed for 2,970 yards and 40 touchdowns last year at College of the Sequoias.

Since Schaeffer was not enrolled at Ole Miss during the spring semester and missed spring drills, much time was spent on developing a second-team quarterback. Hall's switch to running back left redshirt freshman Billy Tapp and junior Seth Adams taking the majority of snaps, along with sophomore Connor Wise. Adams, a junior college walk-on transfer in January, quickly picked up the offense and forged his way to the top of the depth chart to earn the No. 2 spot behind Schaeffer when the team reports in August.

Defensively, Orgeron is in his second year as his own defensive coordinator, and a major challenge in the spring was to replace the entire starting front four of McKinley Boykin, Michael Bozeman, Corvelli Haynes and Jayme Mitchell.

Leading the defensive line charge in the spring was sophomore Peria Jerry, who was named the Most Improved Defensive Player. Jerry is another player who switched positions as he moved from tackle to end and got better every day, making a lot of plays in the backfield. "I think Peria is going to be a dominant force at the defensive end spot," Orgeron said. Sophomore Chris Bowers emerged as the other starter at defensive end.

Sophomore junior college transfer Hayward Howard, who joined the Rebels in January, came on strong during the second half of spring drills and will enter August as the starting tackle. Junior Brandon Jenkins, who was moved to nose tackle, is listed No. 1 at that position heading into fall workouts, but is available to play either spot. Junior Jeremy Garrett, who started two games a year ago, provides another quality player along the defensive line. Junior Viciente DeLoach and sophomore LeRon King are returning players who saw action last season.

One of the biggest returnees on defense is first team All-America linebacker Patrick Willis who opted not to enter the NFL draft early in order to return for his senior year. After leading the nation in solo tackles last year and ranking sixth in total tackles, Willis enters the 2006 season as one of the nation's top defensive players. Due to having surgery on his right foot during the off-season, Willis was held out of spring drills, but he is expected to be at full strength for what should be an outstanding senior campaign.

At linebacker, Willis and junior Garry Pack are returning starters, with the only loss to that corps being Kelvin Robinson at the "Will" spot. Sophomore Quentin Taylor took all of the "Will" linebacker snaps with the No. 1 unit in the spring and is listed as the starter heading into August workouts.

With Willis missing spring drills, it gave a number of youngsters the opportunity to gain valuable reps as one of the priorities was to identify his backup.

Sophomore Robert Russell is a returning player with some experience and played the spring at "Mike" linebacker. Russell could also figure in plans at the "Sam" linebacker spot. Sophomore Brandon Thomas played "Sam" in the spring and could also see action at the "Mike" position in the fall. Redshirt freshman Rogers Loche took the majority of second team snaps at middle linebacker, while sophomore Antonio Turner was moved from running back to linebacker and appears to have a future on defense.

Additional help and depth is being expected from freshmen signees when it comes to the defensive front and at linebacker.
Ole Miss returns three of four starters in the secondary, including senior cornerback Trumaine McBride, sophomore strong safety Jamarca Sanford and senior free safety Charles Clark, while having to replace Travis Johnson at the other corner.

Sanford missed spring drills due to surgery, and the Rebels took advantage of having a lot of returning experience at defensive back to develop some depth. "With Jamarca Sanford out, we got a lot of work out of senior Bryan Brown, who I thought had a really good spring," Orgeron said. "We missed Jamarca, because he's a hard hitter and an emotional leader."

Orgeron was also pleased with the play of junior Nate Banks, who emerged as a starting corner. "Nate had one of the best springs and really has turned into a lock-down cover corner," Orgeron said. Sophomores Dustin Mouzon and Terrell Jackson may play the nickel spot.

When it comes to special teams, Ole Miss has returned senior Will Moseley, junior Matt Hinkle, and redshirt freshman Justin Sparks in the place-kicker role, plus sophomore punter and holder Rob Park. The Rebels must replace long-snapper Sidney McLaurin, but the emergence of senior Andrew Wicker just might be the answer in replacing the reliable McLaurin.

Moseley was impressive in the spring on kickoffs, and becoming more consistent could make him a top-flight extra point and field goal kicker.

As for the return game, the Rebels are counting on a number of talented players, including, but not limited to, Marshay Green, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Mico McSwain, Nate Banks, MikeWallace, Trumaine McBride and Bryan Brown.

Orgeron came away from his second spring practice at Ole Miss feeling good about the direction of the program.

"I feel that there's fantastic chemistry going on within our staff," he said. "That's one of the most important things I wanted to get going. I'm able to coach the defense and recruit, and that's what I want to do. Dan coaches the offense. I just say good job' every once in a while and I tell him if we're going for two and if we're going for it on fourth down. That's my job. I'm going to coach defense and I'm pleased with that."

QUARTERBACKS

It's no secret that the 2006 Rebel roster doesn't include a single returning quarterback who has played a game for Ole Miss, much less completed a single pass. Junior Robert Lane, who saw limited duty as the signal-caller the last two years, does return, but was moved in the spring from quarterback to tight end where he is expected to make a major contribution this fall at his new position.

After using three different starting quarterbacks (Micheal Spurlock, Ethan Flatt and Lane) last season, that will not be the case in 2006 as head coach Ed Orgeron has already named junior college transfer Brent Schaeffer as the starter. Schaeffer, who started three games at Tennessee as a true freshman in 2004, joins the Rebels after passing for 2,970 yards and 40 touchdowns and only six interceptions last year at College of the Sequoias.

Since Schaeffer was not enrolled at Ole Miss during the spring semester and missed spring drills, much time was spent on developing a second-team quarterback. Junior college transfer Bruce Hall's switch to running back left redshirt freshman Billy Tapp and junior Seth Adams taking the majority of snaps, along with sophomore Connor Wise. Adams, a junior college walk-on transfer in January, quickly picked up the offense and forged his way to the top of the depth chart to earn the No. 2 spot behind Schaeffer when the team reports in August.

Schaeffer was the opening-day starter at Tennessee as a true freshman in 2004, and his return to the SEC comes after being considered the nation's top junior college quarterback in 2005, a Rebel signing which helped boost Ole Miss recruiting to as high as No. 9 by one national service. Another promising QB signee is Michael Herrick, who threw for 11,010 yards and 73 TDs during his prep career.

The Rebels are banking on Schaeffer's two years of experience to help Ole Miss bounce back from its poor offensive showing in 2005. It's also a new-look offense in 2006 with the addition of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dan Werner, who joined Orgeron's staff after the previous five years at the University of Miami.

RUNNING BACKS

At tailback, the Rebels return sophomore Mico McSwain, who started last year and was the team's leading rusher when he established an Ole Miss freshman record with 612 yards rushing and another school freshman record with three 100-yard rushing games. McSwain was having a productive spring, but missed the final two weeks with a chest injury.

The spring also offered an opportunity to take the wraps off junior BenJarvus Green-Ellis who sat out last year after transferring from Indiana, where he rushed for 1,732 yards over two years and was one of the top running backs in the Big Ten Conference. Green-Ellis, a tough, physical running back who is hard to tackle, vaulted to the top of the depth chart by showing excellent ability to run both inside and outside.

Having shown he can make it tough for the first tackler to get him down, Green-Ellis, who received the Most Improved Offensive Player Award from spring drills, possesses a knifing running style and gives Ole Miss another experienced running back who has proven he can be successful against good competition. He has also demonstrated the ability to be a tailback that can be counted on every down.

McSwain gives you the flash you need and Green-Ellis gives you the thunder. It's an excellent combination to have at running back in the SEC where defenses zero in on quality running backs week-after-week. It's for sure that the Rebels are going to need both Green-Ellis and McSwain throughout the season.

Another player who could figure in at running back is junior college transfer Bruce Hall. Signed as a quarterback, Hall moved to running back during the early stages of spring drills and was a surprise. Junior Hiram White provides additional depth.

Freshman signee Cordera Eason also looms big in the running back plans, and his addition, along with Green-Ellis, may allow the Rebels to move McSwain to wide receiver.

Sophomore Jason Cook returns as the starting fullback after missing the final half of last season with a broken arm, while several newcomers are expected to be in the mix during August practice.

WIDE RECEIVERS

After losing four veteran receivers (starters Taye Biddle and Mario Hill, plus Mike Espy and Matt Pierce), junior Carlos Suggs finds himself as the only returning wide receiver to have caught a pass in a game, and that was only one reception for no yards.

What makes that fact even more staggering is that those losses represented 314 career receptions for 4,477 yards and 21 touchdowns. Also, three of the four receivers signed NFL free-agent contracts as Biddle inked with the Carolina Panthers, Espy with the Washington Redskins and Hill with the Tennessee Titans.

With such heavy losses, it's no wonder that rebuilding the wide receiver corps in the spring was a top priority. Even with such a heavy emphasis, the Rebels will head into preseason workouts still attempting to solidify the position.

Freshman Marshay Green, who joined the program in January as a running back, kick returner and punt returner, was moved to wide receiver and used his speed and catching ability to come out of spring drills as the No. 1 flanker. Sophomore Burnell Wallace ended spring as the No. 1 split end, with Suggs backing him up. Redshirt freshman Michael Hicks could also figure in the mix.

Senior Keith Houston is still relatively new to the wide receiver position, having switched from tight end late last season.
Orgeron is counting on a number of incoming receivers to step up and play as freshmen. The Rebels went heavy at receiver in the 2006 class, which included Shay Hodge, Kendrick Lewis, Markeith Summers and Allen Walker.

OFFENSIVE LINE

After last year's team struggled with offensive production, a number of changes resulted in the offensive line in the spring as starting tackles Bobby Harris and Tre' Stallings had to be replaced. Stallings, who tied Marcus Johnson (2001-04) for the Ole Miss record for most career starts at 48, was selected in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Harris signed a free-agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

The addition of offensive line coach Art Kehoe and two position changes may well be key to the Rebels becoming better in the offensive line. Sophomore Michael Oher, who started at right guard during his true freshman season in 2005, was moved to left tackle in the spring and appears more at home at his new position. Junior Darryl Harris, last year's starting center, emerged as the new starter at right tackle. Senior Andrew Wicker, who had a good spring, retained his left guard starting spot and is expected to do a good job during his final campaign.

Junior Thomas Eckers, who started three games last season at left guard, entered preseason as the starting center, but that spot may not be settled since junior college transfer Corey Actis worked with the ones and twos during spring drills. The Eckers-Actis battle for the starting nod at center could continue right up to the season opener and beyond.

Sophomore David Traxler, who drew two starts at left guard a year ago, was switched to left tackle in the spring to back up Oher. Sophomore Maurice Miller and senior James McCoy remain in a fight for the right guard starting spot, with Miller listed No. 1 coming out of spring. Redshirt freshman Reid Neely, junior Marcus Cohen and sophomore Paul Hurd are also in the offensive line mix. And then there's the John Jerry factor. Jerry is a big freshman coming in who is expected to contribute from the beginning.

TIGHT ENDS

Ole Miss has long been known for producing outstanding tight ends, beginning with All-American and College Football Hall of Famer Barney Poole in 1947 and 1948 and continuing down through the years with the likes of All-Americans Johnny Brewer, Allen Brown, Wesley Walls, Kris Mangum and Rufus French.

All that history is sure to come up this season as the tight end position is key in new offensive coordinator Dan Werner's strategy to put points on the board.

Although the loss of starter Jimmy Brooks will be felt, the 2006 Rebels return a number of players at tight end who have gained experience, and a potential starter with almost no experience at the position. One of the biggest position changes on the team in the spring came when junior Robert Lane was moved from quarterback to tight end. Lane played a number of different offensive positions last season and started the Wyoming game at quarterback and the Kentucky and Mississippi State games at fullback.

Lane is a tough, competitive player who can catch the football, and he can do something with it after he catches it. He possesses all the athletic ability needed to play tight end, is considered a "gamer" with a lot of savvy and may well be the most competitive player on the team.

Being new to the position may profile Lane a work in progress, but his emergence from the spring as the starting tight end really came as no surprise. It is also no secret that Werner's offensive scheme used at Miami emphasized the use of the tight end and produced some first-round draft choices. The Rebels are expected to throw the football to the tight ends this season and get all of their play-makers involved. Lane is considered one of those play-makers.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Head coach Ed Orgeron is in his second year as his own defensive coordinator. He had the task in the spring of having to replace the entire starting front four of McKinley Boykin, Michael Bozeman, Corvelli Haynes and Jayme Mitchell. Three of the four signed NFL contracts as Boykin cast his lot with the New Orleans Saints, Bozeman with the Atlanta Falcons and Mitchell with the Minnesota Vikings.

After such heavy losses, one might expect the defensive line to be a weak point on the defense. However, that may not be the case. In fact, Orgeron thinks the D-Line has a chance to be better. It's all about building for the future, and he fully expects the Rebels to have one of the best units in the SEC, and maybe in the nation, in the upcoming years.

Leading the defensive line charge in the spring was sophomore Peria Jerry, who was named the Most Improved Defensive Player. Jerry, another player who switched positions in the spring by moving from tackle to end, has shown the ability to make a lot of plays in the backfield and is projected to become a dominant force at the defensive end spot. Sophomore Chris Bowers emerged as the other starter at defensive end.

Sophomore junior college transfer Hayward Howard, who joined the Rebels in January, came on strong during the second half of spring drills and will enter August as the starting tackle. Junior Brandon Jenkins, who was moved from end to nose tackle, is listed No. 1 at that position heading into fall workouts, but is available to play either spot. Junior Jeremy Garrett, who started two games a year ago, provides another quality player with experience along the defensive line. Junior Viciente DeLoach and sophomore LeRon King are returning players who saw action last season.

Orgeron is also excited about the possibility of freshmen Greg Hardy, Kentrell Lockett and Marcus Tillman being able to come in and be productive in their rookie seasons.

LINEBACKERS

When you start at the linebacker position at Ole Miss, you need to go no further than Patrick Willis, the 2005 first team All-America selection who opted not to enter the NFL draft early in order to return for his senior year. After leading the nation in solo tackles last year and ranking sixth in total tackles, Willis enters the 2006 season as one of the nation's top defensive players, and his name is found on such prestigious national award "Watch Lists" as the Bednarik Award, Rotary Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Walter Camp. An instinctive player, one of Willis' major assets is his natural ability of knowing where the ball is before the snap.

Due to having surgery on his right foot during the off-season, Willis was held out of spring drills, but he is expected to be at full strength for what should be an outstanding senior campaign.

Willis and junior Garry Pack are returning starters at linebacker, with the only loss to that corps being Kelvin Robinson at the "Will" spot. Pack started all 11 games at "Sam" linebacker last season and finished third on the team in tackles with 61. Robinson, who started all 11 games his senior season, was new to the position in 2005 after playing strong safety his first three years. Sophomore Quentin Taylor took all of the "Will" linebacker snaps with the No. 1 unit in the spring and is listed as the starter heading into August workouts.

With Willis missing spring drills, it gave a number of youngsters the opportunity to gain valuable reps, as one of the priorities was to identify his backup.

Sophomore Robert Russell is a returning player with some experience and played the spring at "Mike" linebacker. Russell could also figure in plans at the "Sam" linebacker spot. Sophomore Brandon Thomas played "Sam" in the spring and could also see action at the "Mike" position in the fall. Redshirt freshman Rogers Loche took the majority of second-team snaps at middle linebacker, while sophomore Antonio Turner was moved from running back to linebacker and appears to have a future on defense.

Additional help and depth is expected from freshman signees when it comes to the linebacker spots.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

One of the strengths of the defense in 2006 is expected to be in the secondary where Ole Miss returns three of four starters, including senior cornerback Trumaine McBride, sophomore strong safety Jamarca Sanford and senior free safety Charles Clark, while having to replace four-year starter Travis Johnson at the other corner. Johnson, who had 40 career starts at cornerback, had 10 pass interceptions for the Rebels and scored three touchdowns, two by interception and one by fumble recovery.

Sanford, a hard hitter and an emotional leader of the team who ranked fourth in tackles a year ago with 58, missed spring drills due to surgery. His absence allowed the Rebels to take advantage of having a lot of returning experience at defensive back to develop some depth. With Sanford out, one player who got a lot of extra work was senior Bryan Brown, and he responded by having a really good spring.

Another player who drew high praise for his play was junior Nate Banks, who emerged as a starting corner. Actually, Banks had one of the best springs on the defense and has developed into a lock-down cover corner. Sophomores Dustin Mouzon and Terrell Jackson may play the nickel spot.

The Rebels are counting on McBride, Banks and Mouzon to stay healthy, play well, protect against the deep ball and give the defensive line time to gel.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Head coach Ed Orgeron pulls no punches when he says that special teams play "has got to pick up" if the Rebels are going to be successful. That starts, he says, with doing a better job of getting the best players in position to make plays. It's important to be able to block kicks, block punts and score on special teams by returning kicks.

The goal is to find a kicker that can be consistently put on the field for extra points, short field goals and long field goals. There is also a need to shore up the punting game, which was inconsistent last year.

Ole Miss has returned senior Will Moseley, junior Matt Hinkle and redshirt freshman Justin Sparks in the place-kicker role, plus sophomore punter and holder Rob Park. The Rebels must replace long-snapper Sidney McLaurin, but the emergence of senior Andrew Wicker just might be the answer in replacing the reliable McLaurin.

Moseley was impressive in the spring on kickoffs, and becoming more consistent could make him a top-flight extra point and field goal kicker.

The Rebels went out and signed one of the nation's top kickers in Joshua Shene, who was the overall kicking champion at the 2006 National Punting and Kicking Competition Expo. Shene was rated as the No. 2 kicker in the nation by Scout.com.

As for the return game, the Rebels are counting on a number of talented players, including, but not limited to, Marshay Green, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Mico McSwain, Nate Banks, Burnell Wallace, Trumaine McBride and Bryan Brown.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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