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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Practice Report: Fresh Starts
3/26/2024 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. – Spring practice is rolling along for the Ole Miss football team as one of the nation's best incoming groups joins an 11-win team fraught with returners from a year ago.
Lane Kiffin, Princely Umanmielen and Caden Prieskorn met with the media Tuesday to provide updates from inside the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center. The Rebel head coach called this team the most talented he has put together in Oxford as they're now coming together as a group on the practice field.
"Lot of work out there, continuing to move people different places and work different situations," Kiffin said. "Really pleased with how hard our guys have worked. Very competitive atmosphere out there. Have some guys working back from injuries and pushing themselves. So really good to see. We have a really, really good roster, definitely the best one since we've been here. Doesn't mean we'll be a great team, but we have a really talented, especially middle to upper half of the roster."
Kiffin and his staff have no doubt transformed the Ole Miss roster, and he identified elite depth as the only difference between his roster and the best of the best.
"It will not be 1-through-85 necessarily, like at USC during the 34 straight wins or when we left Alabama I think it was 26 straight wins. Those are the top of programs in the history of football roster wise. We're not there," Kiffin said. "The setup now is different so that is probably here not really going to happen where you're going to have that bottom third be as elite as some programs. But you never know."
FRESH PRINCELY
Several of those new infusions of talent come along the defensive front. After four years, 45 games played and 15 sacks recorded as a Florida Gator, Princely Umanmielen (that's OO-mÁn-me-Ellen) is starting fresh in Oxford. He was one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal, but everything fell into place for him to come to Ole Miss. So far he's fitting right in, joining forces Jared Ivey, JJ Pegues, Walter Nolen and others, to form what could be one of the most formidable defensive fronts in program history.
"JI and JJ, they are veteran guys who have played in the SEC before. Those guys are helping me and Walter learn a new system we haven't been in before in Pete's defense. They've really helped me out learning the defense," Umanmielen said. "I feel like we can be one of the best D-lines in the SEC."
In addition to getting along with his new teammates, Umanmielen is blossoming under a new coaching staff. The work has been more intensive, but the Manor, Texas, native is already noticing a difference in his game.
"I'm getting coached harder," Umanmielen said. "At Florida, the way I was coached, it was almost as if they were telling me to go out there and use my talent. Here, Coach Lou and Coach Joyner are really on me about the little things. Here, they go real into depth. I feel like I'm actually getting developed here."
BACK FOR MORE
Caden Prieskorn was one of the first Rebels to announce his return for next season during prep for the Peach Bowl. Ole Miss fans were already happy, then Prieskorn had the game of his life in Atlanta, torching Penn State for 136 yards and two touchdowns, giving them even more to be hopeful for in 2024. For Prieskorn, he's just looking forward to staying healthy and winning some ballgames.
"Just for me not being healthy most of the season played a huge factor. Also just seeing the team and who is coming back played a huge role," Prieskorn said. "I felt like we'd have a good chance to make a run next year."
He's also excited with the direction of the tight end room around him. The Rebels added an experienced tight end in Dae'Quan Wright, who started seven games and tallied 366 receiving yards last year for Virginia Tech before coming to Ole Miss.
"We're all doing a really good job in spring ball, making plays in the pass game and run game," Prieskorn said. "I feel like we have a great group. Me, bringing in Dae'Quan, Jayvontay Conner, Hudson Wolfe and even the rest of the guys, I feel like we have a great tight end group this year."
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We're here to chronicle every step of that journey from spring practice to the Grove Bowl to the 2024 season opener and beyond. Sign up for The Sip newsletter to have the latest news, info, reports, content, offers and more delivered straight to your inbox.
Lane Kiffin, Princely Umanmielen and Caden Prieskorn met with the media Tuesday to provide updates from inside the Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center. The Rebel head coach called this team the most talented he has put together in Oxford as they're now coming together as a group on the practice field.
"Lot of work out there, continuing to move people different places and work different situations," Kiffin said. "Really pleased with how hard our guys have worked. Very competitive atmosphere out there. Have some guys working back from injuries and pushing themselves. So really good to see. We have a really, really good roster, definitely the best one since we've been here. Doesn't mean we'll be a great team, but we have a really talented, especially middle to upper half of the roster."
Kiffin and his staff have no doubt transformed the Ole Miss roster, and he identified elite depth as the only difference between his roster and the best of the best.
"It will not be 1-through-85 necessarily, like at USC during the 34 straight wins or when we left Alabama I think it was 26 straight wins. Those are the top of programs in the history of football roster wise. We're not there," Kiffin said. "The setup now is different so that is probably here not really going to happen where you're going to have that bottom third be as elite as some programs. But you never know."
FRESH PRINCELY
Several of those new infusions of talent come along the defensive front. After four years, 45 games played and 15 sacks recorded as a Florida Gator, Princely Umanmielen (that's OO-mÁn-me-Ellen) is starting fresh in Oxford. He was one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal, but everything fell into place for him to come to Ole Miss. So far he's fitting right in, joining forces Jared Ivey, JJ Pegues, Walter Nolen and others, to form what could be one of the most formidable defensive fronts in program history.
"JI and JJ, they are veteran guys who have played in the SEC before. Those guys are helping me and Walter learn a new system we haven't been in before in Pete's defense. They've really helped me out learning the defense," Umanmielen said. "I feel like we can be one of the best D-lines in the SEC."
In addition to getting along with his new teammates, Umanmielen is blossoming under a new coaching staff. The work has been more intensive, but the Manor, Texas, native is already noticing a difference in his game.
"I'm getting coached harder," Umanmielen said. "At Florida, the way I was coached, it was almost as if they were telling me to go out there and use my talent. Here, Coach Lou and Coach Joyner are really on me about the little things. Here, they go real into depth. I feel like I'm actually getting developed here."
BACK FOR MORE
Caden Prieskorn was one of the first Rebels to announce his return for next season during prep for the Peach Bowl. Ole Miss fans were already happy, then Prieskorn had the game of his life in Atlanta, torching Penn State for 136 yards and two touchdowns, giving them even more to be hopeful for in 2024. For Prieskorn, he's just looking forward to staying healthy and winning some ballgames.
"Just for me not being healthy most of the season played a huge factor. Also just seeing the team and who is coming back played a huge role," Prieskorn said. "I felt like we'd have a good chance to make a run next year."
He's also excited with the direction of the tight end room around him. The Rebels added an experienced tight end in Dae'Quan Wright, who started seven games and tallied 366 receiving yards last year for Virginia Tech before coming to Ole Miss.
"We're all doing a really good job in spring ball, making plays in the pass game and run game," Prieskorn said. "I feel like we have a great group. Me, bringing in Dae'Quan, Jayvontay Conner, Hudson Wolfe and even the rest of the guys, I feel like we have a great tight end group this year."
We're here to chronicle every step of that journey from spring practice to the Grove Bowl to the 2024 season opener and beyond. Sign up for The Sip newsletter to have the latest news, info, reports, content, offers and more delivered straight to your inbox.
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