Ole Miss Football Spring Review

The following review is taken from this year's official spring media guide, which includes rosters, bios and stats on all the returning Rebels and incoming signees. Click here to order a copy.

The Houston Nutt era at Ole Miss "officially" began on March 20 with the beginning of spring drills, which concluded April 12 when a spring game record crowd of 28,311 excited Rebel fans witnessed the annual Red-Blue "Grove Bowl" at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/ Hollingsworth Field.

Nutt, who was named the 36th head football coach in the history of the University of Mississippi on November 28, 2007, when he succeeded Ed Orgeron after three straight losing seasons, is no stranger to the Ole Miss faithful. After all, during his 10 years as the head coach at Arkansas, he guided the Razorbacks to eight bowl berths, three Southeastern Conference Western Division titles, an average of more than seven wins per season and a 7-3 record against the Rebels, including that 2001 historic seven-overtime game in Oxford.

After Nutt's first spring at the helm of the Ole Miss program, Rebel fans demonstrated their renewed faith in the program by responding with increased season ticket sales and overflow audiences at alumni functions. The August 30 season-opener at home against Memphis can't come soon enough for a fan base hungry to reestablish the winning ways that had Ole Miss fighting for the Western Division crown and bowl trips as recent as 2003.

"I was very proud to see the amount of people that would take a Saturday to come back for the spring game," Nutt said. "I experienced the Grove for the first time. What an atmosphere. I know it's going to be better when we play Memphis, but what a walk. I finally got a feeling of what the players had been experiencing and talking about.

"To have former players like Eli Manning, Archie Manning, Patrick Willis and Derrick Burgess come back says a lot for the school and how much the school means to these former athletes. The fans especially made it a special day. To have that many people, to break a record, shows that they really care and they are very hungry."

The majority of Nutt's first Ole Miss coaching staff came with him from Arkansas and several others either played for him or had coached with him in the past. One familiar name on the staff to Ole Miss fans is Kent Austin, who was a record-setting quarterback for the Rebels (1981-85). Austin, who is serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, joined Nutt's staff after leading Saskatchewan to the Grey Cup Championship and was named CFL Coach of the Year. Tyrone Nix is Nutt's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

With returning players having to adjust to a new coaching staff, the spring was a time to learn a new system and new terminology. Position movement was evident as the search to get the best players in the best position to succeed was a priority.

"It was important for our players to be open to change," Nutt said. "Change is hard for everyone, but it's a new system and you just have to embrace it and try to better yourself. Our main objective was to be a better football team by the end of spring. We wanted to get better each day. We wanted to get better fundamentally, attitude-wise and physically, and for the most part, we did.

"I think that anytime there is change, anytime there is change in terminology and a new playbook, things take time, but the one thing we appreciated was the attitude of our team, especially our seniors. They are very hungry. They are good listeners and we improved. Are we there yet? No, but we are better now than when we started.

"I think we made a lot of progress. I think our guys really caught on to the basics of what we are trying to get done. We want to be a very physical run team. We want to be a run stopper. We don't want to give up the big plays. We want to take care of the ball. So all those things we felt like we got across, but we have to keep working. We just about hit all of the playbook, and I hope there will be a lot of recall for two-a-days."

Although Nutt entered his first spring at Ole Miss with a team that returned 47 lettermen, including seven starters on offense, eight on defense, and both kicking specialists, the slate was wiped clean as everyone went back to square one. Nutt's approach when he came on board in December was to not concentrate on off-season player evaluation from tape following a year when the Rebels finished 3-9 overall and 0-8 inside the SEC.

Starters from 2007 who had to be replaced included quarterback Seth Adams, back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher BenJarvus Green-Ellis, tight end Robert Lane and center Corey Actis on offense and tackle Jeremy Garrett, linebacker Jamie Phillips and cornerback Nate Banks on defense.

As spring drills got underway, returning starters on offense included senior fullback Jason Cook, junior wide receiver Marshay Green, senior wide receiver Mike Wallace, senior tackles Maurice Miller and Michael Oher and junior guards John Jerry and Reid Neely. Juniors Shay Hodge, Dexter McCluster and Michael Hicks, who also had some starts a year ago, returned to help strengthen the receiving corps as they battled for starting spots in one of the most competitive areas on the team.

Defensive starters back in the spring included junior ends Greg Hardy and Marcus Tillman, senior tackle Peria Jerry, senior linebackers Tony Fein and Ashlee Palmer, senior cornerback Dustin Mouzon, senior strong safety Jamarca Sanford and sophomore free safety Johnny Brown.

Hardy and Oher earned All-America recognition last season as Hardy was a second team Walter Camp selection and Oher was a fourth team pick of Phil Steele. Both players also earned first team All-SEC honors from both the SEC Coaches and the Associated Press. Peria Jerry was a second team All-SEC pick and Wallace was a third team selection.

Palmer led the Rebels in total tackles a year ago with 89 and pass interceptions with three, while Fein was second in tackles with 84 and Sanford third with 83. In fact, the Ole Miss defense returns 13 of its top 14 tacklers from last season. Hardy led the SEC and ranked sixth nationally in sacks with 10, while ranking second in the SEC and fourth nationally in tackles for loss, averaging 1.8 per game (18 total).

Junior place-kicker Joshua Shene and junior punter Justin Sparks also returned to their starting roles. Shene led Ole Miss in scoring last year with 57 points, converting 11-of-17 field goal attempts and 24-of-25 extra point attempts. Sparks was the team's leading punter, averaging 39.7 yards on 51 punts. Junior Preston Powers returns for his third season as the long-snapper for special teams.

When spring workouts ended, the majority of those returning starters held fast to their No. 1 positions on the depth chart, but competition and position movements resulted in a few changes as to how personnel will begin fall drills in August.

One significant change in the experienced offensive line was having guard John Jerry, who missed most of spring practice due to illness, and Maurice Miller switch positions. Miller and senior Darryl Harris ended the spring as co-starters at right guard, with Miller also backing up Jerry at right tackle. Another change affecting the offensive line was the movement of sophomore running back Reggie Hicks to tight end.

"Reggie has accepted his role," Nutt said of the change. "He is really going to help us at tight end and at H-back, with movement, motion and blocking. We need him to have a great summer and get ready to play."

While admitting depth in the offensive line is "a little shaky," Nutt came out of spring drills feeling like some depth was developed with the progress of redshirt-freshman Rishaw Johnson, junior Brandon Green, sophomore Don Mosley and redshirt-freshman Bradley Sowell.

"Those guys must have a great summer and get stronger for us, but that gives you some bodies there," Nutt said. "Michael Oher had an outstanding spring, and junior Daverin Geralds did a good job for us at center as did senior Darryl Harris and Reid Neely at the guards. We have to get John Jerry healthy. The offensive line probably had the most to learn with protections, run schemes, blocking schemes, all those things, which was a big transformation for those guys, but they are getting better." Although he was able to go through spring drills, the availability of Harris this fall is yet to be determined, since Ole Miss is requesting a medical redshirt sixth year of eligibility.

With the loss of Adams and Brent Schaeffer, Ole Miss has no returning experience at quarterback. However, the Ole Miss staff entered the spring eager to work with Jevan Snead, who joined the Rebels in time for 2007 spring drills after transferring from Texas. Due to the NCAA transfer rule, Snead was unable to participate in 2007, but did get plenty of work in practice.

Snead, who entered spring coming off scope surgery to a knee, didn't disappoint as he had a solid spring and then completed 20-of-26 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns in the Red-Blue game.

"Jevan Snead was such a plus for us," Nutt said. "I am really thankful that he is here on our campus. He's very intelligent. He took hold of this offense and really grasped what Kent Austin was trying to teach him. He has a strong arm, a quick release and doesn't flinch in the pocket. He has a lot of courage. That gives us a chance, because we have some excellent wide receivers and these receivers can go get the ball. Jevan's only problem is he hasn't played very much in a long time, so we gave him a lot of reps."

While Snead emerged as the expected starter, junior Billy Tapp got most of the other quarterback snaps during spring drills and impressed the coaches with his ability to make big plays.

During his days at Arkansas, Nutt seemed to always have an outstanding running game and that philosophy is not expected to change now that he's at Ole Miss.

"I really feel like you've got to be able to run the football in this league and be able to throw it when you want to," Nutt said. "But you have to have a physical mindset and we feel like with Cordera Eason, Derrick Davis and the three young men we signed, it's going to give us a chance to have a really good running team, because our offensive line has really improved and we think they will only get better."

Eason, who saw little playing time his first two years while working behind veterans BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Bruce Hall, had a big spring game, rushing for 101 yards on seven carries and scoring on runs of 44 and 46 yards. Eason's spring performance earned him the No. 1 running back spot heading into fall workouts, with the sophomore Davis No. 2. The Rebels have two veteran fullbacks in Cook, the senior starter, and junior Andy Hartmann.

One area that Nutt doesn't seem to have any major concerns is at wide receiver, which he rates as probably one of the most talented groups he's been around in a long time.

"They are very fast, physical and they go up and get the ball," he said. "You have speedsters like Mike Wallace, Dexter McCluster and Lionel Breaux. And then you have a guy like Shay Hodge, a big physical receiver that will go up and get the ball, and Markeith Summers, who broad jumps 10-10 and vertical jumps 38 inches. We have a lot of athletic ability at wide receiver. We have a guy like Marshay Green that gives it up for the team and moves from a starting wide receiver role to cornerback."

Nutt also plans to take advantage of McCluster's versatility much in the same way he did with Darren McFadden at Arkansas when he employed the "Wild Hog" formation. It will now be called the "Wild Rebel."

"Dexter has some good ball-handling skills and he played quarterback before at a younger age," Nutt said. "The thing that the Wild Rebel' does is enable you to put your best player with the ball in his hands. That's all you want to do. You want to put your playmakers in a position to make plays, and that's what that formation does. Dexter is a guy that we feel like will really create some problems with defenses, and I am really excited about his role." McCluster, who started three games last year at flanker, ended the spring as the starter at H-Back, with senior Jacarious Lucas behind him.

When it comes to defense, Nutt believes the defensive line can be a strength for the Rebels.

"It starts with Peria Jerry at tackle," Nutt said. "His motor runs fast and he's a physical guy that is in top shape. Sophomore Ted Laurent at nose is another guy who is so strong and runs to the football. Then you have some big ends in Kentrell Lockett, Marcus Tillman, Emmanuel Stephens and Greg Hardy. We just have to get into great shape and keep working on our system. When you add Justin Sanders and Lawon Scott, you have a good number of defensive linemen. And we don't know yet about Jerrell Powe."

Heading into the spring, Nutt voiced some concern about the Rebels being really thin at linebacker and that opinion still exists.

"I have been proud of Jonathan Cornell, the Mike linebacker," Nutt said. "Allen Walker has been our most consistent linebacker at Sam, and Ashlee Palmer is our most athletic guy at Will. Those three guys earned starting spots this spring. Chris Bowers has been very close and he has some experience and is going to be able to help us. Lamar Brumfield and Scottie Williams are also getting better."

In the secondary, Nutt points out the work of safeties Jamarca Sanford, Johnny Brown, Kendrick Lewis and Terrell Jackson who played well in the spring, but admits they must continue to get better.

With a need to strengthen the cornerback position, Nutt moved Marshay Green from his starting flanker spot and running back Jeremy McGee, who sat out last year after transferring from UCLA. The decision paid immediate dividends as Green ended the spring as the starter at left corner, with McGee as the back-up.

"They have really been team players," Nutt said. "Marshay will still do some kick returns for us on special teams, but right now we desperately need Marshay and Jeremy to stay at corner." Green led last year's squad in punt returns and kickoff returns.

"We've been thin at the corners, with Cassius Vaughn and Dustin Mouzon having played there before," Nutt added. "Hopefully, with those four guys and the junior college guy coming in, we will get it done. We just have a lot of work to do there." Vaughn and Mouzon came out of spring as co-starters on the right side.

Nutt's first Ole Miss signing class included three junior college players -- center Brandon Green, tight end Gerald Harris and defensive end Emmanuel Stephens and two prep school players cornerback Julian Whitehead and defensive back Jared Mitchell who were able to enroll in January and go through spring drills.

Green ended the spring backing up Geralds at center, Harris emerged as the co-starter with senior David Traxler at tight end, and Stephens ended in a dead heat with Tillman for the starting nod.

When it comes to special teams play, the philosophy is to use the best people on special teams.

"We are going to put our best players on the kickoff team," Nutt said. "We have to be fundamentally sound and be able to cover these lanes. There is a big chunk of real estate right there that you're giving up if you don't. The same goes with kickoff return. We want our best players getting the ball, getting the best wedge, getting some good blocks. It's a great advantage to get valuable field position."

After leading the team in scoring his first two years, Shene held on to his starting place-kicking spot in the spring. Sparks and junior Rob Park battled all spring at punter and will head into two-a-days as co-starters at that position.

As the Rebels move into the off-season, Nutt emphasized the role Strength and Conditioning Coach Don Decker will have on the football program.

"Coach Decker did an excellent job in the winter time, getting our guys more flexible and faster," he said. "We're handing him the baton as soon as finals are over, so he can get started again. I think our guys are looking forward to seeing themselves get better at running and jumping and taking advantage of the quickness drills. They saw living proof that they can really improve when they commit. The summer is so important to really making their body the best it has ever been."

A challenging schedule awaits Ole Miss in 2008 as the Rebels host Memphis, Samford, Vanderbilt, South Carolina Auburn, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State on campus, while road trips will be to Wake Forest, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and LSU.

"We have a good schedule, but a very tough schedule," Nutt said. "It starts at home right here with a great rival. Memphis has gone to a bowl four of the last five seasons. They've done some good things, and we've got to be ready to jump out of the starting gate, hopefully, to a packed house and take advantage of the home field. Then you have to go on the road very quickly to play one of the top 25 teams in the country in Wake Forrest. They've also done an excellent job of getting bowl bids. Then, of course, you get right into the SEC pretty quickly. It's a very tough schedule, but we are looking forward to it."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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