The Ole Miss Rebels are 2-0 and ranked in the top-15 of both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches’ polls. The Rebels have outscored their opponents by a combined 60 points in two games in 2014, scoring at least 35 points in both contests while holding both opponents — Boise State and Vanderbilt — to under 14 points each time. Ole Miss faced lofty expectations entering the current season, and to this point it has lived up to those expectations, perhaps even exceeding them.

Here are the five players who have made the greatest impact on Ole Miss’ undefeated start to the season:

  1. Bo Wallace: There has been a direct correlation between Wallace’s play and the success of the Rebels in 2o14. When he threw three first half interceptions against Boise State, Ole Miss struggled mightily, leading the Broncos just 7-6 at halftime. However, once Wallace settled down in the second half, the Rebels hit their stride, scoring 28 fourth quarter points to win the game by more than three touchdowns. The senior quarterback starred once again in a 38-point win over Vanderbilt in Week 2, and it was obvious Wallace’s command of the offense helped the Rebels post such gaudy numbers on that side of the ball. This team is loaded with talent, but it will only go as far as Wallace can take it. Thus, he is the Rebels’ most impactful player through two weeks.
  2. Cody Prewitt: Ole Miss’ All-American safety is off to another fast start in 2014, registering nine tackles and a team-high 1.5 tackles for loss so far this season. He intercepted a pass against Boise State in Week 1 and returned it 23 yards to drastically alter the field position battle, and laid a few punishing hits in that game as well. Prewitt has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and his leadership in the back-end of the defense has helped Ole Miss limit its opponents to just eight points per game this season. Prewitt was already one of the most recognizable members of the Ole Miss defense before the season began, and he remains on the short-list of players opposing offenses gameplan around when facing the Rebels.
  3. Cody Core: Core has stepped up in a big way in the Ole Miss passing game following the losses of Donte Moncrief and Ja-Mes Logan from last year’s team. Star wideout Laquon Treadwell has kept opposing defenses occupied so far this season, attracting extra defenders who would normally focus their attention on secondary options in the passing game. Core has been the secondary option who has taken advantage of the extra attention Treadwell garners, leading the Rebels with 195 yards and three touchdowns just two games into the season. Quarterback Bo Wallace has not been shy in looking Core’s way when facing trouble, and the junior wideout is quickly establishing himself as a true No. 2 threat to Treadwell in the Ole Miss passing offense.
  4. Deterrian Shackelford: Shackelford is as impactful as any member of the Rebels’ defense, but his impact cannot be exemplified through stats and figures. The Ole Miss middle linebacker is in his sixth-year with the football program, returning to the field in 2013 after missing not one, but two consecutive seasons with two blown-out knees. To recover from that kind of physical punishment and return to playing middle linebacker in the SEC shows a resiliency and toughness unmatched by any other player on the Ole Miss roster. And in his sixth year as a collegiate, few players have seen as much as Shackelford has throughout his career. He already has two degrees from Ole Miss and is pursuing a third. He is tough, he is smart, and he is dedicated enough to work his way back onto the field following two serious knee injuries. His statistics may just be average, but the heart, intelligence and toughness he adds to the defense make him as impactful as any other player on that side of the ball.
  5. Mike Hilton/Tony Conner: Hilton and Conner have split time at the Huskie position on the Rebels’ defense, and both players have made their opportunities count at a position seen as a wild-card on the defense. Hilton leads the team with 12 tackles in two games, adding three pass breakups in addition to contributing on a tackle for loss. Conner has just seven tackles in 2014, but has also recorded an interception and a tackle for loss on the season. Hilton and Conner have helped the Ole Miss front seven limit its two opponents to zero rushing touchdowns and fewer than four yards per carry in 2014. They have both made a difference in pass coverage as well, creating a matchup nightmare for opposing offenses looking to avoid the lethal tandem. Hilton and Conner play a unique role on the defense, and they play that role well, helping lead one of the nastiest defenses in the SEC.