With an Ole Miss offense that is averaging more than 74 points and 634 yards per game coming to town Saturday night, No. 2 Alabama can just about forget about using any of its more basic packages in coordinator Kirby Smart’s 3-4 defense.

The 15th-ranked Rebels have been remarkably proficient passing the ball so far this season with junior college transfer and former Clemson quarterback Chad Kelly leading the way. With an opponent that loves to throw the ball as much as Ole Miss coming to Bryant-Denny Stadium for both teams’ SEC opener, the nickel package essentially becomes the Crimson Tide’s base defense and freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick has an opportunity to be the star at Star.

Star, you see, is what Bama calls it’s primary nickelback and it’s a position the versatile New Jersey native has played so far in his brief Alabama career. Even in normal circumstances, the Tide uses its “regular” defense only 20-to-30 percent of the time and has relied on the Star package more and more as the SEC has become a more pass-happy league. That’s why Fitzpatrick, who was a standout at both safety and cornerback in high school, was such a prized pickup in the 2015 recruiting class and why he got the start last weekend against Middle Tennessee State.

At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Fitzpatrick has size and speed that allows him to match up on just about anyone. One down he may defend a slot receiver. The next he may be challenged to shut down future NFL tight end Evan Engram, who caught 38 passes for 682 yards last year.

Fitzpatrick has risen to the challenge in his first two college games, already recording a sack and breaking up two passes, but he won’t be the only Alabama defensive back who must step up Saturday.

Ole Miss has had 18 plays in two games go for more than 20 yards and six Rebels have catches of 20 yards or more. That’s a concern for the Tide, which had a tendency to give up some big plays against the toughest competition last year, including a loss to Ole Miss in Oxford.

“I think we’ve played better the first couple of game,” Alabama coach Nick Saban told the Dothan Eagle earlier this week when asked about the secondary. “I don’t think we’ve played against the quality of receivers that Ole Miss has, so this will be a challenge for them. We obviously need to do a better job this year than we did last year.”

But preseason All-SEC cornerback Cyrus Jones, a victim of the deep ball at times last year, said the Tide is entering with confidence the nickel package can slow down the Rebels.

“Any time you can get an extra DB on the field against a high-powered passing attack like they have, it puts you at a greater advantage when you can bring guys in that cover their wide receivers,” he said. “Any time you can bend, but not break on a drive is definitely big.”

Alabama’s secondary has undergone something of a transformation, with two former cornerbacks starting at safety, a new position coach in former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and several track stars within the position group. It seems like Alabama has intentionally gotten smaller and faster at the position after traditionally rolling out some muscular safeties like Mark Barron and Landon Collins, essentially extra linebackers who excelled against the run.

With the Tide asking Fitzpatrick and redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey to play extra snaps at defensive back it means some more experienced linebackers will be on the field less and the first-year players will get introduced to SEC football in something of a trial by fire.

Alabama just hopes they don’t get burned.