Chad Kelly this, Chad Kelly that is just fine with the Ole Miss Landsharks. Kelly and his potentially-high-flying offense will be a defense’s best friend.

That defense is flying pretty low right now and lying in wait. In wait and under appreciated.

Kelly and the offense should be getting the accolades. They led the SEC in scoring last season, the only team to top 40 per game. He threw for more than 4,000 yards and has a bevy of talent returning. If the line takes the right steps and Akeem Judd or Jordan Wilkins steps in as the lead back, it should be another explosive bunch.

But there is an argument, despite personnel losses, that the defense returns the most dynamite.

Robert Nkemdiche commanded constant double teams and defensive backs Mike Hilton and Trae Elston were the second and third-leading tacklers. They are gone, but it’s more about who returns to the field from injury.

Start that list with DB Tony Conner, who played only five games with an aggravating meniscus injury. He was All-America and All-SEC his first two seasons and was well on his way to the NFL Draft with Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil and Laquon Treadwell.

The most non-talked about jewel of the returns is nose tackle Issac Gross, who was lost after the 2015 opener and is back from neck surgery for a fifth season.

Replacing the production of Hilton and Elston is in the hands of Kandarius Webster and Tony Bridges. Bridges had three interceptions and Webster was right behind Hilton and Elston with 11 pass breakups and 12 deflections. Conner at the Huskie will be the enforcer delivering the missiles with Elston gone.

Junior free safety C.J. Hampton started four games last season and is expected to take his game to a whole other level. He had 27 tackles and was part of a unit that ranked seventh in the country with 8.1 tackles-for-loss and 23rd with 15 interceptions. There is promising inexperience behind him with freshman Armani Linton.

If Fadol Brown emerges as a threat off the edge, that makes other end Marquis Haynes even more dangerous. Haynes lived in the backfield last season with 16.5 tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks and is on pace to be as good as anyone at the position ever has been in Oxford. He is tied for fourth in school history with 17.5 sacks.

Junior LB DeMarquis Gates led the team with 76 tackles in only four starts last season. Ole Miss fans are eager to find out what he could do as a starter.

The ifs aren’t very questionable considering past production. It should be a unit that gives fans plenty of chances to throw the Fins up.