Ole Miss football: Realistic post-spring expectations for 2023

Ole Miss football is entering a big year for Lane Kiffin and Co. The Rebels are hoping to bounce back from an 8-5 year and have similar success to that from the 2021 season.

The Rebels won double-digit games in 2021 and they’re looking to get back on that track.

Well, the portal additions should be a huge help. Outside of bringing back Jaxson Dart at quarterback, the Rebels bring in Spencer Sanders from Oklahoma State and Walker Howard from LSU to back him up. Dart nearly had 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first season with Ole Miss and he looks poised to improve, especially with two really good passers on his heels.

Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath are both gone so that means the Rebels will have to find new go-to targets. Chris Marshall, Jordan Watkins, Tre Harris, and Michael Trigg should be enough.

The run game will also be elite with four starters returning on the offensive line and 1,000-yard rusher Quinshon Judkins returning.

The only question mark is the defense, but Kiffin is bringing in Pete Golding to run that side of the ball and improvement should come. I’m excited to see what he can do with a handful of key transfers and a solid incoming freshman class.

Realistic post-spring expectations for Ole Miss football

I can see Dart improving next season and he will have even more weapons in the passing game. He’ll be pushed by two quality quarterbacks so he will be forced to improve.

Golding is going to work wonders with this defense. We’ll see a gradual improvement starting this season but I think 2024 will really see the benefits of his hard work.

Looking at the schedule, the sure wins for the Rebels would have to be Mercer, Tulane (although it’ll be close), Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, and ULM. The toss-ups will be LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State. The likely losses are Alabama and Georgia on the road.

So if we’re looking at a realistic record projection, I’d have to go with 8-4 yet again. A bowl win would put the Rebels at nine wins and back in the positive direction.