Ole Miss Football: Way-too-early Projected 2022 Depth Chart

Linebacker

Starting Mike LB: Cedrick Johnson

Backup: Ashanti Cistrunk

Starting Will LB: Troy Brown

Backup: Jaron Willis

Not only is Ole Miss Football without their captain on defense, Chance Campbell, who is on to the NFL. But the Rebels are also losing their second-leading tackler, Mark Robinson. This means that there will be a lot of productivity to make up for next season.

Luckily, the Rebels still have Cedric Johnson, who finished second on the team in sacks in 2021 with 6.5. They were also able to fill out the rest of the positions with players that can contribute right away. Not the least of which includes four-star transfer, Troy Brown, and four-star freshman, Jaron Willis.

Johnson feels like a lock to shore up the middle of the field, while Central Michigan transfer, Troy Brown, looks to be a more than worthy counterpart. He’s coming off a monster 2021 season in which he recorded 66 tackles and one forced (and recovered) fumble and ended his Chippewas career as a three-time All-MAC player with 215 tackles, 5 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 recoveries.

Cistrunk also made a lot of big-time plays in 2021 for Ole Miss, finishing his junior year with 28 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one interception. So, he too should see his fair share of opportunities. While Jaron Willis is my sneaky pick to become a difference-maker in just his first season as a Rebel.