Football Practice Continued on Eve of Meet the Rebels

HottyToddy.com file photo

The Ole Miss football team continued to prepare for the upcoming 2015 season on Friday, the eve of the annual Meet the Rebels Day, which is scheduled for Saturday from 1-3 p.m.

The fall camp session took place on the practice fields adjacent to the Manning Center, where the Rebels ran plays deep in their own territory as well as working in the red zone. On this day, it was the offense controlling the line of scrimmage and moving the ball down the field. The competition between the two sides of the ball has ramped up throughout the week.

“It’s been intense,” mentioned junior defensive end Fadol Brown. “They (offense) got the best of us (defense) today.”

Competition has not only been between the offense and defense, but also at every position as multiple Rebels try to grab a spot at the top of the depth chart. Even though position battles are taking place, the units still come together to square off at the snap of the ball.

“It’s a little different than last year, but everyone has their own individual competition going on, but it’s still a team competition,” noted senior linebacker Christian Russell.

Russell is one of those Rebels fighting for a starting spot at linebacker. Playing as a backup in 2014, his first year at Ole Miss after transferring from East Mississippi Community College, Russell was getting accustomed to the Rebels’ system and formations. With a year under his belt, he has gained confidence in the middle of the defense.

“I feel a lot better now than I did last season, especially in Coach (Dave) Wommack’s defense,” said Russell. “Once you know what you’re doing on defense, it allows you to play faster.”

Meet the Rebels will take place tomorrow, August 15, at the Manning Center on campus. Football coaches and players will be signing autographs and visiting with fans from 1 until 3 p.m., when the event comes to a close. In order to quicken the lines and accommodate as many people as possible, fans are limited to one autograph item per individual player or coach, and photos or videos with football coaches and players will not be permitted. There will not be a practice open to the public following the event.

Notes and tidbits:

• Russell noted that consistency is the key to him getting playing time on the field this fall.
• The move to linebacker has been smooth for senior C.J. Johnson, who has spent nearly his entire Ole Miss career at defensive end. With the position switch, Brown still believes in the depth of the defensive line.
• Russell added on muscle during the offseason, going from 235-245. With the added weight, he still worked on getting quicker as well as his hand technique.
• Junior running back Akeem Judd was a standout on offense Friday morning, breaking tackles and showing his shiftiness on his way towards the end zone.
• With players shifting different positions in the secondary, such as Trae Elston to free safety and Mike Hilton to Rover, constant communication has been stressed throughout camp. On his new free safety spot, Elston said: “You have to communicate way more. You have to be the quarterback of the defense.”

Follow Ole Miss Football on Twitter (@OleMissFB) and Facebook (Facebook.com/OleMissFootball), in addition to www.OleMissSports.com.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports