Three things we could learn from Ole Miss football's first day of preseason practice

OXFORD — Don't expect Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin to declare an end to his quarterback competition on the first day of preseason practice. Kiffin showed last season that, even as most signs pointed to Jaxson Dart beating out Luke Altmyer, he was willing to wait it out. With Dart seemingly ahead of transfer Spencer Sanders coming out of the spring, there's no reason for Kiffin to put an end to the ambiguity this quickly when he clearly sees value in taking the opposite path.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing of substance to be learned as the Rebels begin their preseason preparation in earnest. Here are three things we'll be watching for on Wednesday. Who is Quinshon Judkins' top backup? In a fast-paced Kiffin offense, the backup running back is a position of real value.

It's unlikely that Quinshon Judkins, physically gifted as he is, will be able to take every snap. Last season, he led the SEC in carries while accounting for less than 50% of the Rebels' rushing attempts as a team. That means Ole Miss needs a reliable second option with Zach Evans no longer around.

The veteran choice would be Ulysses Bentley IV, who averaged 5. 7 yards per carry in three seasons at SMU before an injury-plagued debut year at Ole Miss in 2022. But the wild card here is Kedrick Reescano, a freshman who did not arrive on campus until the summer.

We haven't seen him in practice yet, so we don't really know where he stands in the pecking order. SANDERS UPDATE:Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin updates Spencer Sanders injury status at SEC Media Days Who will emerge in the overhauled secondary? Few Ole Miss position groups lost more talent to graduation and the transfer portal than the secondary. Six saw time there and played more than 500 snaps last season according to Pro Football Focus data, and only Isheem Young and Deantre Prince remain.

There are a ton of new names to sort through there, with at least seven transfer additions. Five of those came after the conclusion of spring ball. With new coordinator Pete Golding transitioning the Rebels to a new defensive system, too, there's not much clarity in the defensive backfield at the moment.

What does the wide receiver depth chart look like? The Rebels lost Chris Marshall from their group of receivers after the spring, but they added accomplished UTSA transfer Zakhari Franklin as well as top-100 recruit Ayden Williams. The spring viewing sample was further polluted by injuries to Louisiana Tech transfer Tre Harris and key returner Jordan Watkins. There will always be plenty of receptions to go around in a Kiffin offense, but it doesn't seem like we know who will be reeling most of them in just yet.

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