Spring camp in Oxford is beginning to wind down as the Rebels are just over a week away from kicking off the Grove Bowl. Of all the spring games around the Southeastern Conference, the Ole Miss game will be among the most intriguing due to the fact Matt Luke has brought in two new coordinators this offseason to change things up in Oxford.

With a new offensive system being installed by Rich Rodriguez this offseason, the offense may not be firing on all cylinders after only one camp learning the system but as the offensive players continue to iron out their responsibilities this spring, the key piece of the puzzle has taken a big step forward, according to his head coach.

During his most recent media availability, Luke was asked to share the latest intel on his group of young quarterbacks. The way Luke tells it, redshirt freshman Matt Corral has separated himself from the pack.

“After nine days, I think Matt is way ahead,” Luke said when asked about the performance of his quarterbacks this spring. “You do see the freshmen, you know, making the progression but you can also tell that they just got here. So what a difference a year makes from where Matt got here last year, you could really see the difference because he’s way ahead right now.”

After arriving following his appearance in the 2019 U.S. Army All-American Game, Corral is now participating in his second spring camp in Oxford. The coaching staff also wisely got Corral on the field last season four times (the maximum allowed for a player to retain his redshirt) so when he hits the field this fall, the signal caller will have a better understanding of what to expect.

In his four appearances, Corral completed 16 of 22 attempts, meaning he completed an incredible 72.7 percent of his throws, for 239 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 83 yards and two scores.

Luke was then asked a follow-up regarding how exactly Corral has separated himself from his fellow quarterbacks this spring.

“Just the presence. If he makes a mistake, he’s not losing his cool, just ready to play the next play, you know, things like that,” Luke answered. “I think you can really tell he’s been out there and he’s done it for a full year the way he’s encouraging. I think when you’re just figuring out you’re worried just about yourself and you know just trying to get your job right then when you’ve been in it longer, you’re communicating to the receivers, you are talking to the offensive line, you’re doing the little things that it takes to be a good quarterback.”