Spring Football 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.

What a difference a year makes ...

When Houston Nutt was preparing to begin his first spring practice as the new Ole Miss head coach in March of 2008, the Rebels were mired in a four-year losing streak and coming off a 2007 season which produced exactly zero wins (0-8) in the Southeastern Conference.

The general feeling surrounding the Ole Miss program was that Nutt was taking over a team with talent, but one that simply didn't know how to win. Shortly after being introduced on Nov. 28, 2007, as the 36th head coach in Ole Miss football history, Nutt met with his new squad and laid the groundwork to convince the returning players that they could win and that a bowl game in 2008 was possible, if only they believed in themselves and the coaching staff.

It was no secret that Nutt was bringing to Ole Miss a winning reputation which had produced eight bowl berths, three SEC Western Division titles, an average of more than seven wins per season and the ability to win big road games when playing the role of the underdog. Not one player in the team meeting room that day could raise their hand when Nutt asked if any of them had enjoyed the fruits of participating in a bowl game.

Fast forward to spring of 2009: The late-season success enjoyed by the Rebels in 2008 was still the talk of college football, not only among the Ole Miss faithful, but also by the national media already pointing to the upcoming season.

With a 9-4 record and a 5-3 mark in the SEC, Nutt led one of the greatest turnarounds in school history, marking the team's best improvement from one season (3-9 in 2007) to the next since legendary Ole Miss Coach John Vaught's debut in 1947.

The 2008 campaign saw Nutt continue his reputation as a giant killer, knocking off three top-20 opponents away from Oxford, including the defending national champion in No. 18 LSU in Death Valley and the eventual national champ in No. 4 Florida in The Swamp.

Not only did the Rebels win their final six games and dominate No. 8 Texas Tech, 47-34, in the 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, Ole Miss finished second in the SEC Western Division and earned a No. 14 final national ranking. It was the highest finish since Eli Manning's senior season of 2003 when the Associated Press selected the Rebels No. 13 and USA Today picked them No. 14.

Nutt, who was honored as SEC Coach of the Year for the third time, had reversed the Rebels' fortunes as he became just the fifth coach in the school's history to guide Ole Miss to a bowl in his first season.

When getting back to the reality of beginning his second spring practice at Ole Miss, Nutt admitted that things would be different in 2009. His team appears to be gaining the type of early respect that could well find them in the national preseason rankings. In fact, one early preseason Top 10 included the Rebels at No. 6.

Managing those lofty expectations has become a focal point for Nutt, but he is confident his team understands the situation and won't get caught up in the hype that appears to be picking up steam.

"We appreciated our final ranking last year and we are proud of the respect we're getting," Nutt said. "However, the only way you can get better is to continue to work with passion every day. Ever since we got back from the Cotton Bowl, we've let them know that it took a lot of work to reach this point. All they have to do is ask Peria Jerry, Michael Oher, Jason Cook and Jamarca Sanford how long it took for them to go to just one bowl. As coaches, our antennas are up to make sure they understand that if you think you're working hard, you're probably not working hard enough. You have to earn your wins and the bull's-eye is a little larger than it was before."

While Nutt's second spring found his Rebels returning six starters on offense and eight more on defense, having to replace two All-Americans and first round NFL draft picks offensive tackle Michael Oher and defensive tackle Peria Jerry drew plenty of attention. Oher, a consensus first team All-American, started 47 consecutive games over his career and Jerry finally stayed healthy as he became the emotional leader on a defense which ranked No. 2 in the SEC and No. 4 in the nation in rush defense (85.5 yards per game) and tied for first in the NCAA in TFLs (8.62 per game). Oher was selected by the Baltimore Ravens as the 23rd overall pick and Jerry was the 24th overall selection by the Atlanta Falcons.

"The goal during the spring was to really concentrate on fundamentals," Nutt said. "It's a great time for just coaching football, because there is no urgency to be working on the game plan. With the number of redshirts returning, we were anxious to put them into some situations."

Heading the list of starters returning on offense this spring was junior quarterback Jevan Snead, who completed 184-of-327 passes for 2,762 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first tour through the SEC. Those numbers were good enough to rank second in the league in TD passes (26), third in passing average (212.5 yards per game), third in pass efficiency (145.5) and fourth in total offense (217.1).

"When you look at Jevan's first six games and then his last six, it's not even close," Nutt said. "Jevan really matured as a quarterback and became much more knowledgeable. Coach Kent Austin did a tremendous job with him. His reads got better, he was getting us out of bad plays, his accuracy improved and he just got more and more comfortable."

Snead, considered one of the nation's top returning quarterbacks, used the spring to continue his development as the Rebel coaches added some new wrinkles to the offensive scheme while the offensive line was, to some extent, being rebuilt. "Jevan has demonstrated a real confidence and a real command in the huddle," Nutt said. "He's been around the playbook for a year and he's just gotten better."

When the spring began, other returning starters on offense included senior running back Cordera Eason, senior wide receiver Shay Hodge, senior tight end Gerald Harris, senior tackle John Jerry and senior center Daverin Geralds. John Jerry is being projected as one of the nation's top offensive linemen returning this season.

Another key returnee is senior all-purpose player Dexter McCluster (5-8, 165), who had a total of eight starts last year as he was in the opening offensive series at three different positions. McCluster, the central figure in the "Wild Rebel" offense, was one of only two players (Florida's Percy Harvin) in 2008 to rank top 10 in the SEC in rushing yards, receiving yards, receptions and all-purpose yards.

McCluster, who led the Rebels in rushing with 655 yards on 109 carries and tied for the team lead in receptions with 44 and ranked third in receiving with 625 yards, was named Offensive MVP in the Cotton Bowl, posting 180 all-purpose yards, rushing 14 times for a career-high 97 yards and catching six passes for 83 yards.

With the loss of Mike Wallace to the NFL (third round pick to Pittsburgh), McCluster heads into the 2009 season as the starting flanker, with senior Shay Hodge, who tied McCluster for most catches (44) on last year's team, returning at split end.

Junior wide receivers Lionel Breaux and Markeith Summers, senior guard Reid Neely and senior fullback Andy Hartmann also drew starts a year ago.

After losing Oher at left tackle, Darryl Harris at left guard and Maurice Miller at right guard, revamping the offensive line and building quality depth was a top priority in the spring. Sophomore Bradley Sowell, who was often used as a blocking tight end a year ago, was projected to fill Oher's spot at left tackle. However, Sowell started slowly and actually was running with the second unit for a few days before coming on strong at the end of spring workouts to finally win the position heading into preseason drills. Highly recruited signee Bobby Massie is expected to join the mix when he arrives on campus.

Neely, who started five games at left guard last year, emerged from spring No. 1 at that spot and has the ability to play right guard as well as tackle. Sophomore Rishaw Johnson started out the spring on the left side, but was moved to the right side, which is considered his natural position, and earned the starting role at guard.

Another player being counted on in the offensive line is senior Brandon Green, who backs up Neely, but can play the guard or center positions. A combination of returning players and incoming signees will be counted on to provide the much needed quality depth.

With Eason and sophomores Brandon Bolden, Devin Thomas and Enrique Davis returning, there is plenty of competition at the running back position. Although Eason ranked second in rushing last season behind McCluster, Bolden came out of the spring as the starter, while Hartmann got the nod at fullback after serving as Jason Cook's backup in 2008. Cook followed up his senior season by signing a free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Thomas emerged from spring drills by earning the Jeff Hamm Award as the Most Improved Player on offense.

Even with the loss of the speedy Wallace, the wide receiver position remains solid with Breaux and Summers both coming off outstanding springs, while sophomore Andrew Harris finished strong as he continues to work on becoming more consistent. Redshirt freshman Melvin Harris missed spring due to foot surgery, but is expected to be ready by this fall.

One spot on offense still not settled is who will back up Snead at quarterback. Senior Billy Tapp had that role a year ago when freshman Nathan Stanley was redshirted. Nutt might not make his final decision known until the week of the season opener. "Nathan does a lot of things very natural, has a strong arm and is fundamentally sound," Nutt said. "He just has to learn to read defenses and read secondaries, which are very cleverly disguised. Billy doesn't have the arm and some of the things Nathan does naturally, but Billy understands the play book. He can handle the offense, get us in and out of the huddle and not make a mistake."

On defense, returning starters include senior Marcus Tillman and junior Kentrell Lockett at end, junior Ted Laurent at nose, juniors Jonathan Cornell and Allen Walker at linebacker, seniors Marshay Green and Cassius Vaughn at cornerback and senior Kendrick Lewis at free safety.

Green was named the Defensive MVP of the Cotton Bowl, returning an interception 65 yards for a TD, and also ranked sixth in the SEC in punt return average (10.9 yards per return). Tillman was selected to receive the Chucky Mullins Courage Award and will wear a No. 38 patch on his jersey this season in honor of the late Mullins.

Starters lost on defense include Peria Jerry at tackle, Ashlee Palmer at linebacker and Jamarca Sanford at strong safety. Sanford joined Jerry in being drafted by the NFL, as he was a seventh-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings. Linebacker Tony Fein and cornerback Dustin Mouzon, both part-time starters, also had to be replaced.

Other defensive players back in the spring who have seen action in starting roles included senior Emmanuel Stephens at end, junior Lawon Scott at nose, seniors Patrick Trahan and Lamar Brumfield at linebacker and sophomore Marcus Temple in the secondary. Scott emerged from the spring taking over for Jerry at tackle, Trahan joined Cornell and Walker as starters at linebacker, and senior Lamar Brumfield, who can play all three linebacker positions, is also considered as a starter. Junior Johnny Brown, who started seven games as a freshman in 2007, secured Sanford's spot at strong safety.

Also of note was the continued improvement of junior defensive tackle Jerrell Powe in the spring as he was named the Most Improved Player on defense.

Another key player back is senior defensive end Greg Hardy, who drew starts during his freshman and sophomore seasons, but had foot surgery just prior to the 2008 season, which forced him to miss four games. Despite seeing limited action in nine games due to the injury, Hardy still earned third team All-America honors from Rivals.com and second team All-SEC recognition from the league coaches as he had a team-high 8.5 QB sacks (third in the SEC), and his 0.94 sacks per game would have ranked seventh in the NCAA if he had played in 75 percent of the games.

However, due to having another surgery after the season, Hardy was unable to participate in spring workouts. Still considered one of the nation's top returning defensive ends, a healthy Hardy this fall could pay big dividends for Ole Miss when it comes to postseason honors and the 2010 NFL draft.

Even with the loss of Jerry, the Rebels are poised to possibly field one of the top defensive lines in the nation, but staying healthy is key. "Peria was so valuable, because he made so many plays and couldn't stay blocked," Nutt said. "Hopefully, with the numbers we have, we can stay healthy and, by committee, get things done."

When it comes to special teams, the Rebels return one of the nation's top place-kickers in junior Joshua Shene, who is the SEC active career leader in field goals with 42. Shene led the SEC in field goal percentage (81.0) a year ago, connecting on 17 of 21 attempts and PATs (1.000), hitting all 52 attempts. Senior long-snapper Preston Powers returns, but the Rebels must replace punter Rob Park. Senior Justin Sparks, who averaged 39.7 yards on 51 punts as a sophomore in 2007 before giving way to Parks last season, emerged from the spring as No. 1 again.

Green, who led the team in punt returns last year averaging 10.9 yards on 35 returns, is expected to once again have those duties, with McCluster also available. The departure of Wallace, who averaged 24.6 yards on 35 kickoff returns a year ago, means the Rebels will have a new look in that area. Possible kickoff returnees include Bolden, Green, Summers and McCluster.

Spring drills was also a period when various players were called on to work at different positions as Nutt moved redshirt freshman Brandon Sanders from safety to linebacker, and sophomore defensive back Derrick Herman worked as a strong safety and nickel back.

The Rebels will open the season Sunday, Sept. 6 in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis against the University of Memphis Tigers. The game will be telecast nationally on ESPN.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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