"I’m going through a lot of emotions right now," said John Shafer, who at the time was the Ole Miss athletics director. "I’m disappointed, frustrated, sad and mad. In my opinion, it’s a travesty that we have been left out of the postseason. Obviously, the SEC system currently in place didn’t work for everybody.
"When you consider our overall record, and our record head-to-head within the conference, it just seems to me that Ole Miss should have been included in one of the SEC’s bowl tie-ups."
QUARTERBACKS
Ole Miss is touting junior quarterback Eli Manning (6-4, 215) for the Heisman Trophy. If he makes the same strides in his junior season as he did as a sophomore, Manning -- who was chosen to Playboy’s 2002 preseason All-America team -- could well put himself into the thick of the Heisman race. And as good as Manning was in 2001, Cutcliffe expects even more, thanks to the invaluable experience Manning gained last season.
Numbers don’t even begin to tell the story of Manning, who has more than lived up to the legacy of his famous father and brother, but ponder these anyway: In his first season as a starter, Manning completed 259-of-408 passes for 2,948 yards and 31 touchdowns. All those stats established school records. Manning was sixth in the country in touchdown passes and completions per game (23.55), 13th in passing yards per game (268) and 14th in completion percentage (63.48). In all, he finished in the top 25 nationally in 12 categories.
But more important than Manning’s statistics were his leadership qualities and his uncanny ability to perform in the clutch. Manning led three come-from-behind victories in the fourth quarter over Alabama, LSU and Vanderbilt.
Senior Davis Morris (6-1, 180) is Manning’s backup. He played sparingly last season, completing 3-of-8 passes for 32 yards in three games. Morris, who red-shirted in 2000, had been plagued by back and arm problems his first two years in Oxford. He was at full strength in the spring of 2002 and used the time to improve his game, even though with Manning around, he doesn’t figure to play much again.
RUNNING BACKS
Ole Miss lost Gunn, who led the Rebels in rushing last season, but has a wealth of candidates to replace him. Senior Robert Williams (5-10, 192) and junior Tremaine Turner (5-10, 200) are listed No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart at running back. But they might be pushed by Ronald McClendon (5-9, 185), a junior from Butler County (Kansas) Community College who transferred to Ole Miss in January and took part in spring drills.
Last season McClendon was rated as the nation’s No. 1 junior college player by Rivals.com. The native of Ponchatoula, La. earned All-America honors both seasons at Butler. He missed three games his sophomore year, but still finished with 1,102 yards on 153 carries. He scored 11 touchdowns. McClendon also caught nine passes for 116 yards and returned nine kicks for 305 yards, including a 95-yard touchdown.
In 2001, Williams saw action in seven games, carrying 42 times for 200 yards and a touchdown.
Turner was red-shirted last season because of a neck injury, but played in 12 games in 2000 and 11 in 1999, mostly on special teams.
At fullback, Toward Sanford and Rick Razzano were listed No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart after spring practice. Sanford (5-10, 225), a senior, missed some practice time in the spring with various injuries, but he nevertheless earned the starting job.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Manning has a vast assortment of targets at the receiver positions, in particular senior flanker Jason Armstead (5-10, 160), junior split end Chris Collins (6-2, 190) and sophomore split end Bill Flowers (6-1, 180).
Sophomore Trey Fryfogle (6-1, 196) and senior Ross Barley (6-0, 185), will share the slot position, and red-shirt freshmen Mike Espy (6-0, 180), Taye Biddle (6-2, 175) and Mario Hill (6-1, 195) will get a chance to contribute.
Cutcliffe took a long look at all his receivers in the spring.
In 2001, Armstead, who is also a dangerous return man, caught 32 passes for 413 yards and five touchdowns.
Armstead caught three passes for 71 yards, including a season-best 39-yarder, against Alabama, and had seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown against Georgia.
Last season, Collins caught 54 passes for 692 yards and six touchdowns.
Flowers, the son of former Tennessee and NFL wide receiver Richmond Flowers, caught 28 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns last season.
Ole Miss has talent and depth at tight end. The starter is senior Zeigler (6-4, 254), a great athlete and NFL prospect. A solid blocker, Zeigler also has 4.5 speed, runs goods routes and has soft hands. Zeigler is a leader who was selected as one of four team captains for 2002.
Zeigler caught 21 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown a year ago, but his season was cut short when he broke his arm in the Georgia game. Zeigler, who played in just nine games in 2001, was 100 percent in spring practice and took part in full contact drills.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Rebels will miss All-America left tackle Terrence Metcalf, who anchored a line that allowed just 10 sacks last season, the fewest in the SEC. But four starters return, which means that Eli Manning should once again be given ample protection to do his thing.
The veterans of the unit are senior guard Belton Johnson (6-5, 290) and senior center Ben Claxton (6-3, 288). Johnson, who is joined on the line by his brother Marcus Johnson (6-6, 320), started 11 games last season, earning his third letter.
Claxton brings a tough, physical presence to the line. A year ago, he started all 11 games and was chosen second-team All-SEC by the Associated Press and the league’s coaches. Claxton is one of four team captains for 2002.
Sophomore Marcus Johnson could well be the Rebels’ next offensive line star. He was chosen to The Sporting News Freshman All-America team and the All-SEC Freshman team last season.
The fourth returning starter on the line is sophomore Doug Buckles (6-5, 290), who like Johnson was chosen to The Sporting News Freshman All-America team in 2001 after playing in all 11 games and earning nine starts.
In the spring, Cutcliffe took a serious look at a group of young linemen who red-shirted a year ago: freshman Bobby Harris (6-4, 306), Tre Stallings (6-4, 317), Chris Spencer (6-4, 305), Ryan Jones (6-4, 297) and Tony Bonds (6-4, 290) and junior Justin Sawyer (6-3, 298).
KICKERS
Sophomore Jonathan Nichols (6-0, 180) didn’t rest on the laurels of his freshman season, during which he earned SEC All-Freshman honors. He spent spring practice working on his distance and accuracy.
Nichols set Ole Miss records last season with PATs made (47) and attempted (49). He was 3-of-6 on field-goal attempts, with a long kick of 39 yards, and finished second on the team in scoring with 56 points.
Junior Lee Rogers (5-11, 178) will handle kickoffs, as he did the last two seasons.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Ole Miss lost 2001 starters Kenny Jackson and Anthony Sims, but still has exceptional depth on the line.
Tackle Jesse Mitchell (6-1, 271), a junior, will be counted on to provide leadership. He played in all 11 games last season and started once. He made 45 tackles and tied for the team lead in tackles for losses with seven for minus-25 yards. Mitchell made a career-high seven tackles against Auburn.
Senior tackle Yahrek Johnson (6-2, 270) will also lend some veteran stability to the line. Johnson put in a lot of weight room time in the off-season and is bigger and stronger than ever. He had a great spring despite suffering a calf injury early. He recovered and was showing leadership qualities and playing with confidence by the Red-Blue game.
In 2001, Johnson made 15 tackles while playing in four games.
Germaine Landrum (6-3, 235), a senior, has been moved back to defensive end after playing linebacker a year ago. He also had a productive spring and impressed Ole Miss coaches with his speed.
Junior Josh Cooper (6-4, 245) will also line up at the end position. Last year he played in eight games, starting four at right end. He made a career-high nine tackles against Auburn, including three for loss. An ankle injury slowed him in 2001, forcing him to miss three games.
Three other veteran linemen figure to push the starters. Justin Blake (6-2, 250), a senior, missed all of spring practice after knee surgery. Sophomore Daniel Booth (6-4, 275) can play both tackles spots and did so during the spring game. He played in eight games a year ago and made a season-high four tackles against Middle Tennessee State. Sophomore Cory Robinson (6-4, 255), was chosen to the Freshman All-SEC team after earning six starts and making 36 tackles.
LINEBACKERS
Cutcliffe thinks linebacker is one of the deepest positions on the team. "We have some competition at the linebacker spot," he said.
In the new alignment, Ole Miss will put just two linebackers on the field. Starting at the "Mike" linebacker is senior Eddie Strong (6-4, 245), who was chosen one of four team captains for 2002. Strong started last season and led the Rebels with 105 tackles. He was the first Rebel since Nat Wayne in 1996 to make at least 100 tackles in a season.
Strong, a proven playmaker, improved in the new system as spring progressed.
Like Strong, senior Ryan Hamilton (6-2, 230), who will start at the "Sam" linebacker spot, started slow in the spring. But by the Red-Blue game, he was all over the field, making 14 tackles in the spring game. Hamilton is strong and mobile. A year ago, he started three times and was credited with 17 tackles.
Justin Wade (6-3, 225), a junior, will back up the Mike position. Wade, quick and aggressive, made six tackles in the spring game. A year ago, he played in 10 games and made 11 tackles and intercepted a pass.
Rob Robertson (6-2, 221), a sophomore and backup at the Sam spot, was chosen to the All-SEC Freshman team in 2001 after playing in all 11 games and starting twice. He made 24 tackles, intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and blocked a punt. The block, which came against LSU with 37 seconds left in the first half, set up an 8-yard Eli Manning touchdown pass that gave the Rebels a 21-10 lead.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The Rebels lost both starting cornerbacks, Syniker Taylor and Justin Coleman, from 2001, so a host of replacement candidates were put to the test in the spring.
Knight (5-11, 165) was voted the most improved player on defense after spring practice concluded. Knight, who has great speed, played behind Taylor last season, which meant he didn’t get as man reps as he needed. But Knight made up for lost time in the spring.
Desmon Johnson (5-10, 160), another senior cornerback, missed a lot of spring practice because of a class conflict but still claimed a starting job. A year ago, he appeared in all 11 games, starting three times. He finished with 16 tackles.
Tavarus Horne (6-0, 195) a sophomore, and Bryant Thomas (6-1, 190), a freshman, will back up the corner positions. Travis Johnson (6-1, 185), a red-shirt freshman, drew attention in the spring with his solid play. He didn’t play cornerback in high school, so the position was new to him.
Matt Grier (6-1, 190), a senior, is the most experienced of the Rebels’ safeties. He started six games last year, one at weak-side linebacker and the last five at strong safety. He ranked fifth on the team in tackles with 82 and intercepted two passes. Grier had double-figure tackle days against LSU, Arkansas and Mississippi State.
Eric Oliver (6-2, 207), a sophomore, won the free safety job in the spring after lettering as a freshman in 2001. Oliver played in all 11 games and made starts against Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee State. He is known as a hard hitter and solid tackler.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ole Miss is touting Armstead as an All-America candidate at return specialist. Last season, he ranked second in the SEC and ninth nationally with his average of 27.6 yards on 19 kickoff returns. His 524 kickoff return yards ranked fifth on Ole Miss’ single-season list.
Armstead returned a kick 93 yards for a touchdown against Murray State. That was the second-longest return for a score in the SEC last season.
Armstead finished 10th in the SEC in punt returns, averaging 8.9 yards on 22 attempts. Against Kentucky, Armstead returned four punts for 57 yards, including one for a team season-high 40 yards.
Ridgeway doubles as the holder on field goals, and senior A.J. Kiamie (6-3, 270) is the long snapper.
RECRUITING CLASS
Ole Miss had just 17 scholarships to offer, so Cutcliffe and his staff had to be selective. The Rebel coaches recruited with the thought of signing players who could contribute quickly.
"Because of the fewer scholarship numbers we had, we had some tough decisions to make," Cutcliffe said. "Character became important. There are a lot of people in this signing class that will help our football team. We’re going to get some immediate help. I think a number of young men that we signed will impact this year’s team."
The obvious impact recruit is McClendon, but there are others. Ken Bournes (6-2, 255), a junior from Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College, should contribute heavily at linebacker. Bournes was rated the No. 15 junior college recruit in the country by SuperPrep and No. 4 in Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
As a sophomore, Bournes made 115 tackles in nine games, including 13 behind the line. He was also credited with six sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Bournes, who has 4.7 40 speed, returned one of those interceptions for a touchdown.
Two high school defenders who figure to push for playing time are linebacker Chris Herring (6-2, 260) and lineman Jayme Mitchell (6-6, 275). Herring, from South Panola High School in Courtland, Miss., was well decorated. He was chosen by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming as the nation’s No. 15 linebacker and was listed as a prep All-American by Lemming, PrepStar, SuperPrep and Max Emfinger. Last season at Panola, which has a tradition of producing good linebackers, Herring made 120 tackles, including 17 for losses, and 9.5 sacks.
Mitchell, a first-team all-state selection from Forest Hill High School in Jackson, Miss. made 120 tackles last season. Twenty-eight of those were for losses and he also had three sacks.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
Cutcliffe likes the look of his team.
"We have competition offensively, defensively and in the kicking game," Cutcliffe said. "We have more competitive depth than any time since we’ve been here. People are being pushed at every position and that helps with the focus and commitment a player has to make to be a part of this. We are going to play more people than we have over the last few years."
Ole Miss has plenty of offensive firepower. And if the Rebels can quickly learn Driesbach’s defensive system and slow down opponents better than they did in 2001, they will once again return to a bowl game.
