Explosive defensive lineman Marquis Haynes is “the undisputed leader of this Ole Miss defense,” an OleMissSports.com news release stated.

Haynes, who elected to stay for his senior season with the Rebels instead of going to the NFL, has been moving around the defensive line quite a bit this preseason.

He’s doing it for the team, and showing leadership all the way, apparently.

“The difference from last year to this year is that last year we had a couple of guys we were always dependent on filling roles,” Haynes said. “This year we have a whole lot of talent on the defense. We just have a bunch of freshmen and a bunch of young guys who are talented. They are really going to contribute to what our scheme is defensively. I cannot wait to get to the first game and see how they play.”

Haynes is now helping the younger players grow.

“My role is just to be a leader and show them the right way to take on blocks and be more physical,” Haynes said. “Telling them to find it deep down inside. You’ve got more, give more.”

Haynes came back to improve his stock, and he ended up becoming someone for an adversity-stricken Ole Miss team to look up to.