Spring Practice Report: Ole Miss Begins Week Two of Spring Ball

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss football team began its second week of spring practice Tuesday. After starting the spring inside last week, the Rebels took advantage of some morning sunshine on the practice fields outside of the Manning Center.

Spring practice will culminate with the annual Grove Bowl, presented by Mississippi HomeCare on Saturday, April 24. Kickoff of the intrasquad scrimmage is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be televised by SEC Network+. Attendance for the Grove Bowl will be announced in the weeks ahead.

A LOOK INSIDE THE QB ROOM

One of the most talked-about position groups this offseason has been the quarterback room. It is overflowing with talent between Matt Corral, two-sport superstar John Rhys Plumlee, sophomore Kinkead Dent and midyear enrollee Luke Altmyer. With a full season under his belt, Corral is not only working on his own game but helping teach and run the offense beyond his position group.

"He's done well," said head coach Lane Kiffin. "He's a returning starter now, which he's never been, so you expect a little more from him. Instead of just playing quarterback, now with a lot of guys out, he's got some newer people running around out there, so he's lining those guys up and helping those guys. Having a better understanding of the entire offense instead of just what he needs to do has been a good progression for him."

Behind Corral is Plumlee, who's been off with the No. 2 Ole Miss baseball team for much of the spring, and a pair of talented gunslingers (Dent, Altmyer) who are soaking in their first spring practices.

"Both quarterbacks have done a good job," said Kiffin. "Kinkead (Dent) is very talented, and Luke (Altmyer) coming in has done a really good job, which is really hard for a guy who we tend to forget really only just finished his senior year of high school."

The quarterback room is turning everyone's heads on the field. Wideout Jonathan Mingo has noticed the improvements in all the QBs' games.

"Matt's taking tremendous steps," said Mingo. "He's more of a leader, he's more vocal, he's trying to pick up the tempo because he wants to go fast. His accuracy is improved, and he's been working on getting his body right. All the quarterbacks behind him, Luke and Kinkead, they've been right there behind him pushing the competition."

ADAPTING AND IMPROVING

In a year full of changes, Tavius Robinson has not only had to adapt to living in a new country but to the different style of play of football in the United States contrasting to Canada.

"As the practices go on and having a full offseason and all that, I really understand the game more," said Robinson. "I can read the plays a lot faster now. Day by day, things are getting better for sure."

Time in the Ole Miss weight program has done the Ontario native well, as the Robinson has put on 15 pounds of muscle during his time in Oxford. Despite defensive struggles last season, Robinson believes that the defense has the opportunity to be in the position to ultimately win games this upcoming season.

"We have a lot more energy I feel. We're out here competing, and the energy feels different this spring for sure," said Robinson. "Mainly just coming to practice every day having a lot of passion and energy and just being physical with everything we do. Bringing physicality and energy every day is the main thing we're looking for."

WIDE RECEIVER LEGACY

There's a rich tradition among Ole Miss wide receivers. A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf have lit up the league on Sundays the past two seasons, and with Elijah Moore going pro, the expectations to be great are only growing. Having played two seasons with Moore, Mingo was able to learn from one of the best receivers to ever play in the Vaught.

"Elijah is like a big brother to me," said Mingo. "He just takes all the things he's learned from A.J. and D.K. and other receivers and helps tell me the things I need to work on, giving me little tips and pointers. It was good having him in there to show us the way."

This offseason, the eyes have turned to see who will be the next to join the NFL ranks from Ole Miss. For Mingo, he's focusing on his game and stepping into a leadership position in the locker room. He recognizes the depth in the wideout group and hopes that a bunch of guys can step up and make plays when their number is called.

"We just have to be the next man up," said Mingo. "We have to keep the standard up. Braylon (Sanders), Drumm (Dontario Drummong), Dannis (Jackson), Jadon (Jackson), Qua (Davis), JP (Jahcour Pearson), they all have talent and when the ball is thrown at us, we just need to make a play. Matt is going to throw the ball to whoever is open, so when the ball is coming our way, we need to make a play. That's why we're the playmakers."

Working his way back to full participation in practice, Mingo is focused on what he can control and passing on wisdom to the next generation of Ole Miss wide receivers.

"I'm working on being more consistent and bringing that dog mentality," said Mingo. "I'm trying to be the leader in the group, and work on everything – my fundamentals, consistency and my mindset."

Get all the latest information on the team by following @olemissfb on Twitter and Instagram and OleMissFootball on Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at OleMissSports on Twitter and Facebook and OleMissAthletics on Instagram.

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Players Mentioned

Luke Altmyer

A.J. Brown

Matt Corral

Kinkead Dent

D.K. Metcalf

Jonathan Mingo

Elijah Moore

Jahcour Pearson

John Rhys Plumlee

Tavius Robinson

The University of Mississippi Athletics