Ole Miss football has some big expectations for the 2024 season. Coach Lane Kiffin brought the Rebels the greatest season in school history, with 11 victories in 2023. The team is going to certainly be considered a contender for a College Football Playoff appearance during this upcoming campaign. Here are three reasons why the Ole Miss football team can win the SEC this year and gun their way into the national championship conversation.
Ole Miss football has a sensational quarterback
The Rebels have arguably the best returning quarterback in the SEC. Jaxson Dart has plenty of experience, and he has played in a lot of big games. In 2023, Dart finished the year with 3,364 passing yards. He threw for a career-high 23 passing touchdowns, with just five interceptions.
Dart finished the year on a high note, tearing apart a very good Penn State football secondary in the Peach Bowl. The Rebels won the bowl over the Nittany Lions, behind a sensational performance by Dart. The gunslinger finished the game with 379 passing yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions. Penn State had a pretty darn good football team last season, so there is no denying that Dart has a talented arm.
Dart has added incentive, as he wasn't chosen on the preseason media SEC Team. The quarterbacks that were chosen instead include Georgia's Carson Beck, Texas' Quinn Ewers, and Alabama's Jalen Milroe. The Rebels' quarterback will have some opportunities to prove all of those doubters wrong.
Nick Saban is gone
The second reason why the SEC could go to Ole Miss is because a huge obstacle is now out of the way. The Rebels struggled to get past Alabama in the Lane Kiffin tenure, and that isn't a problem anymore. The legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban is retired. The power structure is changing in the SEC.
Saban had been a thorn in the side of Kiffin, while Kiffin has coached in the SEC. Alabama defeated Ole Miss in the 2023 season, 24-10. The Crimson Tide went on to the CFP, while Ole Miss missed out on the opportunity. While the Crimson Tide will still be a force to be reckoned with in 2024, it certainly isn't going to be the same without Saban.
There's another reason, however, while Ole Miss football has what it takes to win the SEC.
The Ole Miss football defensive line is a juggernaut
The Rebels have a defensive line that is going to make everyone else in the country jealous. The Ole Miss football d-line this season includes two studs in defensive end Princely Umanmielen, and lineman Walter Nolen. These two players are both new additions to the football program.
Nolen played at Texas A&M, and is one of the most highly touted defensive transfers this year. He picked up 66 total tackles during his time with the Aggies. He is also a former no. 2 overall player in the Class of 2022 player rankings, per 247 Sports. The lineman should be competing this season for first-team defensive honors in the SEC.
Umanmielen comes to the program from Florida. He is a brilliant edge rusher that is going to put opposing quarterbacks on notice. He posted seven sacks last season, and is already quite familiar with the style of play in the SEC. He also picked up 11.5 tackles for loss.
Ole Miss football has a non conference slate this year that includes games with Furman, Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern and Wake Forest. The team has several tough contests in the conference schedule, including meetings with Oklahoma, LSU and Georgia.
Time will tell if the Rebels are as good as advertised. In the SEC preseason poll, the team was picked to finish fourth in the conference.
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