Ole Miss will be down a Week 1 starter on the offensive line for at least the next few games, according to a report.

Tyler Komis of 247Sports reported Tuesday that starting senior right guard Jeremy James is dealing with a broken hand. He is looking at a multi-week absence.

James played in Ole Miss’ Week 1 win over Furman, making his team-leading 50th consecutive start for Rebels on the offensive line. Interestingly, James was actually on the second line of Ole Miss’ 2-deep for the season-opener.

The Week 1 depth chart had Julius Buelow “or” James listed for first-team right guard. Buelow gives the Rebels experience at the position in James’ absence.

A redshirt senior, Buelow spent his first 5 seasons at Washington. He entered the transfer portal, and landed at Ole Miss in January in time for spring drills.

After redshirting in 2019 and playing in only 1 game during UW’s shortened 2020 COVID season, Buelow became a regular contributor for the Huskies.

Buelow played in 10 games of the 2021 campaign, making 5 starts at left guard. He played in 8 games of Washington’s 2022 season.

Last year, Buelow started Washington’s final 8 games, including the Huskies’ College Football Playoff run that saw them face Michigan for the National Championship.

No. 6 Ole Miss hosts Middle Tennessee in Week 2. It’s the last tuneup for Lane Kiffin’s squad before going on the road to play a Power 4 opponent. The Rebels will travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina in Week 3 to face Wake Forest.

We’ll see how long James is sidelined. For now, Ole Miss is fortunate to have a Power 4 veteran ready to step into the starting spot.