Ole Miss Football: 3 biggest surprises from the 2021 season

One of the biggest surprises for Ole Miss football this season is the emergence of its defense, which was embarrassingly bad a year ago.

One of the biggest surprises for the Rebels in 2021 was the emergence of their defense. A year ago, the team had one of the worst defenses in the SEC and the nation. However, this past season showed the Rebels had a good defense to complement their high-powered offense.

Co-defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin was part of the reason for the success of the defense. Durkin switched to the 3-2-6 scheme, which he tried a few times last season.

This season, he committed to the scheme and found success. The switch in the formation and the emergence of newcomer Chance Campbell and Ole Miss veteran Sam Williams Sr. propelled the team to one of the top defenses in the SEC.

3. Chance Campbell

It took a few games for everything to click for the defense in 2021. It was after the Arkansas game that things began to change. In the game, the Rebel defense gave up 51 points. Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson accounted for six touchdowns in that game, which came down to a failed two-point conversion with no time left. After the game, head coach Lane Kiffin made it clear he was not happy with how the defense performed.

One key player for the Rebel defense was senior linebacker Chance Campbell who transferred from Maryland to Ole Miss his senior year. However, it did not take long for him to impact the team.

In the Arkansas game, Campbell had nine tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, making him the only bright spot of a poor defensive display.

Campbell finished the season with 109 tackles. He led the team and finished fifth in the SEC for tackles. In 2020, the Rebel with the most tackles only had 75, showing how productive the defense was this year. His best game came against Mississippi State when he had a season-high 12 tackles.