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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Practice Report: Meet Pooh
3/28/2024 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. – The work continues on the practice fields for Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss football team as the 2024 Grove Bowl draws near.
Chris Paul Jr., John Saunders Jr. and Jeremy James met with the media Thursday to provide their perspective on spring practice.
MOST OF ALL: POOH
Ole Miss fans might already be familiar with one of the Rebels' newcomers on defense, Chris Paul Jr., after watching him rack up triple-digit tackles over the past two seasons elsewhere in the SEC at Arkansas. Now, that he's in red and blue, Rebel fans can get to know the linebacker called "Pooh."
"Playing on a travel ball team when I was younger, I caught an interception to win the game, and my mom had got these jackets with my face painted on them, and she had a 3D cutout of my head with my nickname on the bottom of it. You know how moms are, once their son scores, they start going crazy. So she starts jumping up and down over the fence, holding the sign up, and everyone who could see who I was," Paul said. "Once I got older it started growing on me, and that's my identity now."
Pooh earned Freshman All-SEC and Second Team Freshman All-American honors for the Razorbacks in 2022 after tallying 62 total tackles, including eight TFLs and four sacks. He came back with another strong season last year, notching 74 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss and a pair of sacks in 11 games. But after a strong start to his career in Fayetteville, Pooh found himself at a crossroads in the offseason.
"I just had a sit-down with my parents. I'm high on my faith, so I like to talk to God about everything I do in my life. I was sitting back, and God told me it was time for a change. I talked with my parents and thought about taking that leap of faith. Once I got in the portal, I had coaches calling me left and right. But once I got to talking to Coach Golding and Coach Kiffin, I knew Ole Miss was the place for me."
COACHED UP
Numerous newcomers on defense have lauded their coordinator Pete Golding already during their short times in Oxford. John Saunders Jr. will enter his second year under Golding's tutelage, and he's excited to see how he—and the rest of his teammates—will continue to progress.
"He's really amazing," Saunders said. "He knows all the levels of the defense. It's amazing to be around him. He could coach me and second later he's coaching a D-tackle. He's so versatile. He knows where everyone is supposed to be. He coaches my technique a lot and really helps me become a better player every day."
Saunders and his fellow defensive backs also have a new leader alongside Golding, new secondary coach and Co-DC Bryan Brown. Brown was a four-year letterwinner for Rebels from 2003-06, and he's already brought a lot to the secondary in his short time on the coaching staff.
"I like Coach Brown a lot. He's been a great addition to the team," Saunders said. "He knows a lot. He's real familiar with Oxford. He's a good guy for culture. He's making sure to gel us all together. We've been having some DB events, getting familiar with each other, getting to know him and his family. It's been great having him around."
COMPETITION IN THE TRENCHES
Lane Kiffin has already said multiple times that the Rebels will look much different in the trenches in 2024. Many of the eyes are on the newcomers along the Ole Miss defensive front, and Jeremy James and the rest of the Rebel O-linemen have enjoyed squaring off against them so far in spring ball.
"It's a lot of fun. They're really, really talented," James said. "It's making us go to work every day. It's been a lot of fun. They're really good players."
While there is plenty of competition between the offensive and defensive fronts, there will also be competition to see who plays what role within each group. Kiffin and his staff have moved players around to a variety of different spots, and it has made for a fun and competitive atmosphere—perfect for a new team that is trying to come together.
"We have a lot of new faces, a lot of old faces. Just trying to gel together and go to work and get better," James said. "Right now, everyone is playing all types of positions, trying to get a feel for where we're comfortable. I think we're going to be a really dominant group this year."
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We're here to chronicle the competition leading up to the Grove Bowl, 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.
Chris Paul Jr., John Saunders Jr. and Jeremy James met with the media Thursday to provide their perspective on spring practice.
MOST OF ALL: POOH
Ole Miss fans might already be familiar with one of the Rebels' newcomers on defense, Chris Paul Jr., after watching him rack up triple-digit tackles over the past two seasons elsewhere in the SEC at Arkansas. Now, that he's in red and blue, Rebel fans can get to know the linebacker called "Pooh."
"Playing on a travel ball team when I was younger, I caught an interception to win the game, and my mom had got these jackets with my face painted on them, and she had a 3D cutout of my head with my nickname on the bottom of it. You know how moms are, once their son scores, they start going crazy. So she starts jumping up and down over the fence, holding the sign up, and everyone who could see who I was," Paul said. "Once I got older it started growing on me, and that's my identity now."
Pooh earned Freshman All-SEC and Second Team Freshman All-American honors for the Razorbacks in 2022 after tallying 62 total tackles, including eight TFLs and four sacks. He came back with another strong season last year, notching 74 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss and a pair of sacks in 11 games. But after a strong start to his career in Fayetteville, Pooh found himself at a crossroads in the offseason.
"I just had a sit-down with my parents. I'm high on my faith, so I like to talk to God about everything I do in my life. I was sitting back, and God told me it was time for a change. I talked with my parents and thought about taking that leap of faith. Once I got in the portal, I had coaches calling me left and right. But once I got to talking to Coach Golding and Coach Kiffin, I knew Ole Miss was the place for me."
COACHED UP
Numerous newcomers on defense have lauded their coordinator Pete Golding already during their short times in Oxford. John Saunders Jr. will enter his second year under Golding's tutelage, and he's excited to see how he—and the rest of his teammates—will continue to progress.
"He's really amazing," Saunders said. "He knows all the levels of the defense. It's amazing to be around him. He could coach me and second later he's coaching a D-tackle. He's so versatile. He knows where everyone is supposed to be. He coaches my technique a lot and really helps me become a better player every day."
Saunders and his fellow defensive backs also have a new leader alongside Golding, new secondary coach and Co-DC Bryan Brown. Brown was a four-year letterwinner for Rebels from 2003-06, and he's already brought a lot to the secondary in his short time on the coaching staff.
"I like Coach Brown a lot. He's been a great addition to the team," Saunders said. "He knows a lot. He's real familiar with Oxford. He's a good guy for culture. He's making sure to gel us all together. We've been having some DB events, getting familiar with each other, getting to know him and his family. It's been great having him around."
COMPETITION IN THE TRENCHES
Lane Kiffin has already said multiple times that the Rebels will look much different in the trenches in 2024. Many of the eyes are on the newcomers along the Ole Miss defensive front, and Jeremy James and the rest of the Rebel O-linemen have enjoyed squaring off against them so far in spring ball.
"It's a lot of fun. They're really, really talented," James said. "It's making us go to work every day. It's been a lot of fun. They're really good players."
While there is plenty of competition between the offensive and defensive fronts, there will also be competition to see who plays what role within each group. Kiffin and his staff have moved players around to a variety of different spots, and it has made for a fun and competitive atmosphere—perfect for a new team that is trying to come together.
"We have a lot of new faces, a lot of old faces. Just trying to gel together and go to work and get better," James said. "Right now, everyone is playing all types of positions, trying to get a feel for where we're comfortable. I think we're going to be a really dominant group this year."
SUBSCRIBE TO THE SIP
We're here to chronicle the competition leading up to the Grove Bowl, 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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