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

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OXFORD, MS – OCTOBER 21: The Mississippi Rebels carry an American flag as they take the field before a game against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

The thinnest area of depth on the offensive side of the ball for the Rebels is with the running backs. The loss of 1,000-yard rusher Jordan Wilkins is going to hurt the versatility of the Ole Miss offense this year, and there’s not much production coming back to replace him.

Moreover, losing D’Vaughn Pennamon to injury further hurts the situation in the backfield. The most experienced rusher coming back is rising junior Eric Swinney. He did have a strong stat line in 2017, and looks to continue his development as the potential starting rusher.

Last year, Swinney racked up 218 total yards and three touchdowns on 47 touches. Swinney also averaged nearly 5.0 yards per carry, signaling the ability to be an efficient rusher when the torch is officially passed to him as the starter.

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The dual threat ability of Ta’amu will make it easier on the Ole Miss running backs easing into the offensive spotlight. However, you need a solid ground game in the SEC, and we’ll see how the depth at that position forms with players like Swinney in the fold this spring.

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