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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Spring Practice Report 03.27
3/28/2010 | Football
A crowd of approximately 400 fans and recruits were on hand, as the Rebels trained for close to three hours in helmets and shorts under sunny skies but gusting winds.
"It was a really long teaching day," said Houston Nutt, who begins his third spring as Ole Miss head coach. "We have a long way to go, but that's what spring is about. I'm very excited about this spring. We have a lot of guys that have a chance to show us that they can help this football team. A lot of people realize they're not going to play scout team this year."
One of those former scout team players is redshirt freshman Raymond Cotton who is vying with sophomore Nathan Stanley for the starting quarterback spot. Nutt was pleased with day one of the competition.
"I thought they threw extremely well," he said. "They did an excellent job with the snap. We gave them a few audibles to see how they could handle it. They did a good job with the checks. For the first day, I thought they both looked good."
Among the players providing the offensive highlights were junior running back Brandon Bolden and sophomore receiver Jesse Grandy. Nutt noted them as two of the players that need to become "difference makers."
"I think they realize they've stepped into a role now," said Nutt. "There are a lot of yards that have graduated, and they have taken on that responsibility. They started off good today. Jesse hit a couple of runs. Brandon looked very, very smooth. He's lighter and faster.
"But what's going to be good is going against that defense. That front seven is going to be really good. You've got some guys with a lot of experience. They had the upper hand and they may have the upper hand all spring, but that's alright. You'd rather it be that way."
Adding to that experienced defensive unit is a pair of JUCO newcomers in end Wayne Dorsey and safety Damien Jackson, both of whom received a great deal of snaps with the first and second teams.
"We're counting on them," Nutt said. "We don't really sign junior college guys to sit on the bench. We sign them to get in the rotation, get in the mix. It looks like they're doing a lot of good things. They need to get better, but I like the way they're coming."
Ole Miss spring drills continue Sunday at 4:30 p.m. with another non-contact workout. Practices are open to the public, but fans are asked to remain in the designated area, outside the red line, and are not allowed between the practice fields. Use of cellular phones and cameras are prohibited for fans at practice.
Practice times and locations will be updated daily on OleMissSports.com and twitter.com/OleMissNow.
