The Rebels landed the No. 15 recruiting class in the country in ’14, failing to repeat the magic of the ’13 class, but securing six four-star players nonetheless.

How much did that class contribute to the 2014 team that started the season 7-0 and at one point ranked No. 3 in the polls? And more importantly, can it provide the aforementioned ’13 class with enough help to chase a championship this fall?

Player Position Starts Games Played
Rod Taylor G 2 13
C.J. Hampton S 0 13
Markell Pack WR 0 13
Kendarius Webster CB 2 13
Christian Russell* LB 0 13
Marquis Haynes^ DE 4 13
Fahn Cooper* RT 13 13
Demarquis Gates LB 0 13
Jeremy Liggins* ATH 5 13
A.J. Moore DB 0 13
C.J. Moore DB 0 13
Gary Wunderlich K 0 11

*Junior college transfer
^Prep school signee

Overall, 12 of the 24 enrollees played at least one game. Those 12 players participated in a combined 154 games, starting 26.

Remarkably, every single member of the 2014 class who played got into all 13 games, with the exception of kicker Gary Wunderlich, who didn’t play in the season opener against Boise State or against Presbyterian.

True freshman prep school signee Marquis Haynes morphed into the team’s best pass rusher, finishing with 7.5 sacks. He may be one of the most underrated pass rushers in the SEC this season, operating on a defense with playmakers at every level. He got lost in the shadow of players like Derek Barnett and Myles Garrett last year, but if he reaches double-digit sacks, he’ll become more of a household name.

Apart from Wunderlich and Haynes, the junior college transfers provided the most immediate help. Fahn Cooper started every game at right tackle and will get a chance to retain his spot this spring. Jeremy Liggins played a little tight end and dabbled as a short-yardage quarterback, but will switch to offensive line in what has to be the most interesting experiment in Oxford this spring. Christian Russell will compete for an increased role at middle linebacker, likely behind converted defensive end C.J. Johnson.

Currently it doesn’t look like C.J. Hampton will claim one of the open secondary spots, with the Rebels shuffling some responsibilities, but expect him to play a significant role on defense going forward. But that shuffling could well lead to Tee Shepard, a junior college transfer cornerback who missed last season due to injury, starting opposite incoming junior college transfer Tony Bridges.

Top-rated signee Rod Taylor will try to force his way onto the starting offensive line at guard, and the Rebels could use some big growth at the position this fall. Maybe Taylor can be a part of that.

Breeland Speaks and Garrald McDowell, four-star defensive linemen who redshirted last year, likely won’t start in 2015 barring injury, but they’re talented and they’ll get on the field at some point. Expect them to position themselves for a larger role in 2016.

Other than Haynes, for now this group mostly will serve as useful role players. It doesn’t appear that there are many true game-changers here, but the players who saw the field last year are more polished and game-ready than a lot of second-year guys across the conference and are capable of important blue-collar work as Ole Miss tries to push to the top of the SEC West.

If Hugh Freeze signs a class like this one each year, Ole Miss should at least stay in the middle of the pack in arguably the best division in college football.