No, the Ole Miss Rebels don’t know who will be throwing passes come Week 1, but they have a pretty good idea of who will be catching them.
While Ole Miss spent much of the spring in search of a new starting quarterback without the benefit of a 100 percent healthy Laquon Treadwell, the Rebels other skill position players showed Hugh Freeze’s offense should be just as explosive in 2015 as it was a year ago.
Of course, Treadwell remains the focal point of the offense, and barring a setback, he should be at full strength for the season opener. He’s also pegged as one of the best wideouts in the SEC, and if he plays to that potential he’ll lead one of the conference’s more potent offenses on his way to a promising NFL career.
And four-star signees Damarkus Lodge and Van Jefferson are scheduled to arrive this summer, adding even more depth and upside to the offense. Still, their absence during spring ball set the stage for players like Cody Core, Derrick Jones, Markell Pack and others showed what defenses will be facing if they sell out to stop Treadwell.
Freeze spoke highly of Jones all spring after the rising junior logged just five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown a year ago. He began his career as a cornerback, but appears to making strides at wideout and could see regular playing time come the fall.
Freeze was asked the most pleasant surprise of spring: "Derrick Jones," he fired back without even pausing for a second.
— Riley Blevins (@Riley_Blevins) April 8, 2015
“I think Derrick Jones could be a very, very impactful player for us,” Freeze told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger during the final week of spring practice earlier this month.
The coaching staff also seemed pleased with Core’s progression since last season. The rising senior had a career year last season playing off the attention Treadwell warranted from opponents early in the year; he caught 41 balls for 558 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs. At 6-foot-3 and close to 200 pounds, his size and athleticism should allow him to remain a threat to stretch the field and dominate in the red zone as he did a season ago.
“Cody is going to be a solid player for us all the way around,” Freeze said of Core, who missed time this spring as well. “He’s going to block for us. He’s going to run routes. He’s going to make plays.”
Quincy Adeboyejo missed part of the spring along with Treadwell and Core, but he stands to make an impact again this season after catching 26 passes in a reserve role a year ago.
However, other than Jones the wildcards of the bunch are sophomore Markell Pack and transfer Damore’ea Stringfellow, who attended Ole Miss a year ago but sat out the year per the NCAA’s transfer rules.
Pack was given the opportunity to return kicks as a true freshman last season, and although he stru