Ole Miss Football: 3 storylines to follow in spring 2021

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss football had a solid first year together in 2020, but what should everyone be watching for this spring?

Year one of the Lane Kiffin era in Oxford was a successful one, for the most part. The Rebels went 5-5 and won the Outback Bowl against a ranked Indiana team which was one of the biggest surprises in the Big Ten.

The Rebels had one of the best offenses in college football, averaging over 550 yards per game, but the defense held it back from being special.

Kiffin and the Rebels have a big spring approaching and if they want to make some noise in the SEC, they need to show improvements on the defensive side of the ball and continue to progress at the quarterback position with Matt Corral.

What storylines should we be following this spring?

3. A new No. 1 receiver

Losing Elijah Moore is a big hit to this offense. Matt Corral relied heavily on Moore last season as the two connected 86 times for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns and that accounted for one-third of the quarterback’s production.

So who’s going to step up to try and replace that production?

Dontario Drummond might be an early choice because he was the third-leading receiver in 2020, catching 25 passes for 417 yards and seven touchdowns, but Jonathan Mingo and Braylon Sanders are also top options. Or maybe someone like Jadon Jackson or newcomers and early enrollees Brandon Buckhaulter and Qua Davis should get a shot.

My money would be on Drummond or Mingo, but don’t sleep on Western Kentucky transfer Jahcour Pearson who had over 1,000 career receiving yards with the Hilltoppers.