SEC Media Days Wrap Up: Matt Luke Edition

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.

Ole Miss Head Coach Matt Luke answered questions from the media at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. Photo by Steven Gagliano

Matt Luke took to the podium at SEC Media Days in Atlanta Tuesday, July 17 for the first time as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. He is heading into his 18th college football season as either a player or a coach in this conference.

Luke took over the program after Hugh Freeze stepped down in July 2017 and led the Rebels to a 6-6 season with a 31-28 win in the Egg Bowl.
“I felt like last year had a lot of positive momentum to finish the season, winning three of the last four games,” Luke said. “I felt like that really spring-boarded us into a top 25 recruiting class.”
Luke said he was most impressed by how the team gets up at 6 a.m. every morning and goes to work.
“They’re competing and playing for each other,” he said. “I think that’s when everybody was looking for them to shut it down. They didn’t because they had a very, very unselfish attitude and were playing for each other. I think that’s the mindset of our team.”
Ole Miss heads into the 2018 season with 15 returning offensive and defensive starters.
On the offensive side of the ball it all starts up front, Luke said.
“Everybody knows about the “D” lines in the Southeastern Conference,” he said. “Up front, we have 103 combined starts with our offensive line. [We are] very talented and experienced there.”
Ole Miss is also known to have the wide receiving core. The Rebels have the “Nasty Wideouts” (NWO), a very talented group of receivers led by juniors A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf.
At quarterback, Jordan Ta’amu returns as the team’s catalyst after stepping in midseason for an injured Shea Patterson.
“It’s been fun for me to watch his development as he really is picking up where he left off at the end of the season and really taking on that leadership role,” Luke said.
This season, Luke and the Rebels look to replace the running game of Jordan Wilkins with Scottie Phillips and Eric Swinney. Wilkins will be tough to rival, as he ended his career with 1,751 total yards and 14 touchdowns.
“I think that’s when our offense really started taking off, and we had that balance and started to run the football, Luke said. “That was a huge part of our success is Jordan Wilkins being a thousand-yard rusher.”
On defense Ole Miss has seven starters returning.
“I feel really good about our secondary,” Luke said. “We’re talented and experienced there. The interior of our defensive line is returning. You’ll see Josiah along with Benito. I feel really good about that.”
The Rebels open the season Sept. 1 versus Texas Tech in Houston in the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff that will be televised on ESPN at 11 a.m.
“I have a lot of respect for Texas Tech. You know, I think we will prepare the same,” Luke said. “But knowing you have that great opponent coming up in Houston to start the year, I think our players will be excited and ready to get going.”

Hottytoddy.com freelancer Lee Ann Herring contributed to this article.