Now that Laquon Treadwell is catching passes from Teddy Bridgewater and suiting up with the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL, Ole Miss is currently in the process of finding its next No. 1 target for senior quarterback Chad Kelly. One of the top candidates to fill the void left by Treadwell this season will be junior receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow.

Last season was his first on the field in Oxford, after transferring in from Washington, and he recorded 36 catches for 503 yards and 5 touchdowns. After playing a big role in road victories at Auburn and Mississippi State, Stringfellow looked poised to have a big Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma State. Unfortunately it never happened, as Stringfellow had to be carted off the field after injuring his right ankle in the first quarter of the bowl game.

Eager to prove himself worthy as the Rebels’ No. 1 option on the outside, Stringfellow continues to push his rehab in his efforts to return to 100 percent before the season begins. At this point, the junior receiver puts his health at ’85 to 90 percent.’

“I should be good by the season,” Stringfellow said according to Parrish Alford of the Daily Journal. “I’m running. I’m just not 100 percent the way I feel. I’m running and doing everything with the team. Right now my biggest focus is trying to put on weight and get bigger for the season. I’m eating a couple of meals a day, doing some extra push-ups, whatever to get a little bulkier.”

With plenty of time between now and the Sept. 5 Labor Day showdown with Florida State in Orlando, Stringfellow should be at full strength by the season opener. Considering the Rebels are currently an underdog in the game and the defense projects to be a bit of a work in progress Week 1, Ole Miss will need everything it can get out of the talented receiver to escape the magic kingdom with a win.