Since the retirement of Ole Miss defensive coordinator Dave Wommack was announced last Saturday, the Rebels have been hard at work to find his replacement.

The search is still in the early stages, but The Daily Journal’s Parrish Alford on Monday broke down the potential candidates being rumored at this time.

The two biggest names are recently fired Texas coach Charlie Strong and long-time Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster. Strong made his reputation as a top-notch recruiter and defensive mind at Florida in the mid-2000s, while Foster has turned out consistently great defenses during his 30 years with the Hokies.

Of course, there are a few names floating around that have ties to Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.

Current Auburn secondary coach/co-defensive coordinator served in that same position for the Rebels in 2012, and Indiana defensive coordinator Tom Allen coached linebackers and special teams in Oxford from 2012-2014.

Finally, Alford names Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, who is in his second year at that position.

No matter who Freeze ends up hiring, he’ll have a lot of work to do. The Rebels ranked 100th nationally in scoring defense (34 points per game) and tied for 110th in total defense (461.3 yards per game).