Ole Miss Football: 5 most important players to watch during spring 2018

Finding the next wave of talent for Matt Luke and Ole Miss football starts with the exposure during spring practice and the spring game.

Ole Miss football does have the potential to surprise some people in the SEC West in 2018. Given all the circumstances during the 2017 campaign that worked against the Rebels, they still managed a season that would have gotten them bowl eligible if not for the existing sanctions. Yet, there’s a lot to be excited about with this program before the start of the upcoming regular season.

As the interim head coach last year, Matt Luke proved that he could possibly build a solid program up in Oxford. He led the Rebels to a solid outing in 2017, especially when it came to the Egg Bowl victory over in-state rival Mississippi State Bulldogs to cap things off. The Rebels had a lot of fight all throughout the 2017 slate.

Since the SEC West does have some teams with uncertainties in the middle of the pack entering 2018, the Rebels could climb up the standings compared to last year. Ole Miss has the ability to finish ahead of division rivals like the Arkansas Razorbacks, Texas A&M Aggies, and Mississippi State. They already finished ahead of Arkansas in 2017.

There’s a few players that Ole Miss needs to step up in the spring of 2018 to have some momentum entering the regular season slate. The spring game, also known as the Grove Bowl, takes place at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on April 7, at 2 p.m. ET.

Moreover, since the season kicks off fast, with a non-conference matchup against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Week 1, the Rebels need to be ready from the get go. Here’s a look at five players to watch in spring practice for the Ole Miss Rebels.