No shortage of expectations surrounded Ole Miss football heading into the 2022 season, with some predicting the Rebels had the ability to go the distance and make it to a national championship game.

Instead, they hit some roadblocks, finishing with an overall record of 8-5 and a 4-game losing streak.

That trend should change in a big way though in 2023, with the schedule ahead and some of the differences between last year’s team and staff and the ones that go into this season.

Here’s a look at 10 bold predictions for Ole Miss in 2023:

1. Quinshon Judkins makes a big push for the Heisman

Let’s face it, this is typically a quarterback award and there are several within the upcoming draft class who will make a very strong case for it. Judkins found himself on the outskirts of the main Heisman Trophy conversation last season. But he caught and maintained national attention extremely early in his career and will only build upon that this season.

2. One of the Rebels’ losses will be to Tulane

Tulane completed the most remarkable turnaround in college football history last season, and 1 of the most common phrases you’ll hear from its players in interviews is, “We know we’ve got a target on our back.” Tulane was previously 1 of college football’s worst programs, but that has changed as the team demanded attention during its 11-2 finish last season that was capped off by a 46-45 victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl. The Green Wave return depth on both sides of the ball, reloading effectively, and are poised for a season in which they could run the table.

3. Spencer Sanders eventually overtakes Jaxson Dart

Ole Miss has been in a bit of a quarterback dilemma since the departure of star QB Matt Corral, and Dart was surrounded by some unfairly high Heisman Trophy expectations as a still largely inexperienced player last season. Dart did progress as a passer as time went on and still has a high ceiling, finishing the season with a 62.4% completion rate, 2,974 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But there is no doubt that Sanders could provide more than just a small level of competition, and his confidence in his ability to overtake Dart is reflected by his decision to transfer to Ole Miss over other places at this point in his career. How this plays out will be something to watch.

4. Ole Miss will beat Alabama

One of the most entertaining things across the SEC has been watching the banter between Lane Kiffin and other coaches — including Nick Saban, a coach he used to work under. There is an immense amount of potential that running back Quinshon Judkins still brings to go with the numbers he has already put up.

The Rebels have come close to beating the Crimson Tide over the past few seasons. Alabama is as shaky as it’s ever been over recent history and has 1 of its weakest quarterback situations over the same period of time. Bring your popcorn.

5. Quinshon Judkins is among the nation’s top 3 running backs

Judkins, as just a freshman, finished as the No. 7 running back in the nation in total rushing yards, carrying the ball 274 times for 1,567 yards with 16 touchdowns. The only 6 running backs ahead of him in the standings were: Brad Roberts (Air Force), DeWayne McBride (UAB), Mohamed Ibrahim (Minnesota), Chase Brown (Illinois), Tyjae Spears (Tulane) and Bijan Robinson (Texas). With some of those names departed and with the type of potential Judkins brings after setting a strong foundation, not to mention the projected running back standings, being a top-3 running back isn’t a terribly tall order.

6. No receiver eclipses the 1,000-yard mark

This is not to say the Rebels will not find success through the air — if anything, they should be expected to throw it around a good bit. But it won’t be all focused on a single wideout. Instead, the passing game will be distributed among several targets in a way that will keep any 1 pass-catcher from reaching that 1,000-yard point. Plus, with Judkins back in the fold, the Rebels should rightfully lean on their ground game when it makes sense.

7. A big increase in interceptions

The Rebels had some lackluster areas across the defensive side of the ball in 2022, with 1 of the most glaring being their run defense. Ole Miss wasn’t especially terrible in takeaways through the air but didn’t impress either with just 8 interceptions, only 2 of which came from the cornerbacks. New cornerbacks coach Keynodo Hudson should play a role in the uptick of interceptions.

8. Less putting it on the line on 4th down

Lane Kiffin likes to go for it on 4th down. That was reflected by the fact that he attempted to convert there a total of no less than 33 times over the past 3 seasons at Ole Miss. Kiffin has been heralded as an offensive mastermind who has had a lot of success, but part of this comes down to what seems to be a rightful distrust of the defense to finish the job. If new defensive coordinator Pete Golding delivers in 2023, expect a decrease in 4th-down attempts.

9. The Rebels give up 30 or less points per game

The Rebels had to lean on their offense more often than not in 2022, as the defense gave up too many chunk plays and had a run defense that Kiffin once lamented as not being present within several miles of the Auburn football stadium. But with the introduction of Pete Golding as defensive coordinator, transfers like linebacker Monty Montgomery and returning veteran talent like Jared Ivey and JJ Pegues, the Rebels should improve on their average of 35 points allowed over the last 7 games of last season.

10. Ole Miss wins at least 10 games

The Rebels had more holes than some analysts realized before last season, something that showed glaringly in some of the team’s unexpected losses. But between some improvements across the roster and coaching staff, things are looking up. And looking at the schedule, it’s safe to say that Mercer, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe are all given victories. Ole Miss should be seen as the equal or better team in matchups against Tulane, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Georgia poses the biggest challenge, while Tulane projects as a still-underrated opponent.