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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Mississippi

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08/11/22 - Stephon Wynn Jr., rSr/2024, Mississippi + More +

Even Ochaun Mathis, one of the country's top-rated transfers who spent last winter being wooed by college programs, was impressed by Stephon Wynn's credentials. When Wynn, the former Alabama defensive lineman, committed to Nebraska in May, Mathis had the same thought as most Husker fans. "He came from Bama," Mathis said. "We got a guy. We got a stud." With such pedigree comes a bevy of questions. Wynn said "everybody" on his new team wants to know what it's like to play for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, what it's like to win a national title. And the big one: What's the secret to Bama's success? "Consistency," Wynn said when asked that question Monday. "If you come in and have a bad day, you're gonna lose your job. So it's about always being competitive, always trying to get better, never settle."

Wynn learned that lesson the hard way during his four seasons in Tuscaloosa. Despite arriving on campus as a high-end four-star recruit, Wynn appeared in just 12 games under Saban. Why? Wynn says injuries played a role. His ankle, his knee, a torn labrum. "Every camp I (participated in) there, I was hurt," Wynn said. "That caused a lot of issues with my playing time." It also tested Wynn's mettle. While waiting four seasons for limited opportunities, Wynn had to remind himself that he "wasn't doing this (work) for nothing." He summoned internal motivation from outworking his teammates. And he remembered the slogan his parents taught him growing up. "If you can be more, do more," Wynn said. - Omaha World-Herald

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DT Stephon Wynn Jr., Mississippi
News Source: Omaha World-Herald
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08/11/22 - Nick Broeker, Sr/2023, Mississippi + More +

2022 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCHLIST: Nick Broeker, Ole Miss, Sr OG,...A multi-year starter for the Rebels, Broeker will hold down a new position along the Rebel offensive front in 2022. After starting every game at left tackle over the past two seasons, Broeker will move to left guard, where he projects to play at the next level. Broeker was also awarded with the J. Richard Price Courage and Compassion Award at the end of spring practice, given annually to the senior lineman who, in the opinion of his coaches, has demonstrated extraordinary courage and unusual compassion in his dedication to his team and to Ole Miss. - Ole Miss Football

Sr/2023

OG Nick Broeker, Mississippi
News Source: Ole Miss Football
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08/11/22 - Jadon Canady, Sr/2025, Mississippi + More +

After excelling as a freshman nickelback last year, Tulane's Jadon Canady is preparing to start at cornerback this fall but still could log time at his old spot. Versatility is the buzzword as the coaches look for dramatic improvement from a secondary that played a significant role in the Green Wave finishing 115th in the nation in pass efficiency defense and 120th in yards allowed (271.2 per game). Canady, who intercepted Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler on the second play of his career, is one of several defensive backs training at more than one position. Macon Clark, a starter at free safety for all 12 games in 2021, is getting some time at nickelback along with Lance Robinson, who started the final three games at cornerback.

Standing pat was not an option after Tulane's disappointing season. "We're playing guys at multiple spots so we can get the best personnel on the field depending on the down and distance," second-year defensive coordinator Chris Hampton said. "We need better overall awareness. We are doing a lot of situational football (in practice), and the guys have really taken ownership." It starts with Canady, one of the few defensive pluses in the first half of last season before the unit improved down the stretch. His 54 tackles ranked fourth on the team, and he has added 20 pounds to get to 180 on his formerly slender frame. - New Orleans Times Picayune

Sr/2025

CB Jadon Canady, Mississippi
News Source: New Orleans Times Picayune
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08/10/22 - Malik Heath, rSr/2023, Mississippi + More +

Malik Heath is breaking down boundaries. Heath, a senior receiver from Callaway High School in Jackson, will become one of the few players to have suited up for Ole Miss and Mississippi State when the Rebels host Troy in their season opener on Sept. 3 (3 p.m., SEC Network). After putting up 749 yards and eight touchdowns in his two years in Starkville, Heath jumped in the transfer portal to use his final year of eligibility in Oxford, where he's now competing with fellow transfers Jordan Watkins and Jaylon Robinson as well as long-time friend Jonathan Mingo for playing time. As Heath explains, the choice to come to Ole Miss wasn't a no-brainer, but it wasn't very difficult either. "I just like the offense," Heath said. "I think Lane Kiffin is a great play-caller, (wide receivers) coach (Derrick) Nix is a great coach. He pushes you every day. That's something I didn't have over there at the other school. At first I was skeptical about it because of the rival school and all the media and all that. But I've seen a lot of other folks (transferring) and I thought. 'Why not?"

Heath also mentioned the schematic differences that allow him to do a little more as a receiver at Ole Miss than in Mississippi State coach Mike Leach's air raid. Heath says most of the emphasis in Leach's offense was on routes within five yards of the line of scrimmage, compared to Kiffin, who emphasizes more of a downfield attack. Combine that with getting to play with his cousin Brandon Buckhaulter and Mingo, who he's known since their high school days in Jackson, and Heath couldn't pass up the opportunity to play at Ole Miss, rivalry be darned. - The Clarion Ledger

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WR Malik Heath, Mississippi
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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08/10/22 - Spencer Sanders, rSr/2024, Mississippi + More +

Spencer Sanders looked relaxed as he opened his fifth preseason camp as a Cowboy, and fourth as the starter. That look speaks to his comfort level, not his intentions for the OSU offense. When the season goes live, speed is the key in Sanders' mind. "I like playing with tempo," he said. "I like the defense on their heels. I like to keep them guessing. The more I keep you guessing, the more I keep on your heels, you don't know what to call, you don't know what to say. "The better I can keep you edgy, you've got to make quick play calls because I can move the offense pretty fast." Mike Gundy calls Spencer Sanders a 'magician' Twice already this preseason, head coach Mike Gundy has described Sanders as a "magician" in the Cowboy offense based on his in-depth knowledge of the system as a fifth-year senior. Last year, Gundy called Sanders the Tasmanian Devil of quarterbacks.

The amalgam of those two traits could be the special sauce that gets the Cowboys back to running track meets rather than huddling and milking clock and shortening games. Gundy and Sanders never desired to slow the offense down the past two seasons. But rampant injuries and inexperience at positions like offensive line and wide receiver hindered the pace. If you want to know what they would prefer the offense look like, flip on tape of the second half of the Fiesta Bowl, when Sanders led a rally from 21 points down for a 37-35 win over Notre Dame. Sanders threw the ball a career-high 51 times for 371 yards and four touchdowns, but also rushed for 125 yards in the most magnificent performance of his career. "Spencer can play fast," Gundy said. "That's the advantage we have with him. "Playing fast is the responsibility of the quarterback. If we stay healthy, it gives us an opportunity." - Daily Oklahoman

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QB Spencer Sanders, Mississippi
News Source: Daily Oklahoman
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08/06/22 - Jaxson Dart, Sr/2025, Mississippi + More +

Ole Miss football began preseason practices on Wednesday with a quarterback-battle-sized question mark hanging above it. Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said he's not ready to make a decision between sophomores Luke Altmyer and Jaxson Dart after one day of practices. He wants to make a decision before the season opener and, given his experience in coaching, wants to stick with one instead of letting Altmyer and Dart battle things out in a game. "We're always going to look at everything and what's best for the team and not do things because we've done them before," Kiffin said. "But I think people pull (quarterbacks) too fast. It's not like a pitcher who goes in and then pitches four days later (after being pulled). There's a lot of mental stuff to playing quarterback. When you get pulled, that's a big deal. You've got to make sure he's had every opportunity and that what's happening is actually his fault."

Kiffin continued that he thinks it's important to differentiate between a quarterback who's making unforced errors and a quarterback who's struggling because the team around him is struggling. He said he's not the kind of coach who will yank a quarterback for throwing two or three interceptions because he knows oftentimes quarterback mistakes happen because of protection or route running errors or unlucky bounces that benefit the defense. Dart and Altmyer are considered the two favorites to replace quarterback Matt Corral, who started for the last two years for the Rebels before being picked in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. - The Clarion Ledger

Sr/2025

QB Jaxson Dart, Mississippi
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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08/03/22 - Jaxson Dart, Sr/2025, Mississippi + More +

Last year's Ole Miss football team was one of the best in program history. But that was last year. The 10 wins, the Sugar Bowl berth, the epic highlights and the mustard bottle are as much the past as Johnny Vaught, Archie Manning, Deuce McAllister and the goal posts being paraded around The Square. Expectations for the 2022 Rebels are all over the place. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has to replace 94% of the passing yards, 97% of the rushing yards, 78% of the receiving yards, 55% of the tackles and 63% of the tackles for loss and sacks from last year's team.

Sounds like 100 percent confusion. But the Rebels signed 13 of the top-200 transfer portal prospects per 247Sports' rankings, including four of the top 50. . Kiffin's strength is tailoring offenses to his players' talents. Quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer won't have to be Matt Corral so much as they'll have to be the best versions of themselves. - The Clarion Ledger

Sr/2025

QB Jaxson Dart, Mississippi
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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08/02/22 - Jonathan Mingo, Sr/2023, Mississippi + More +

Ole Miss' receiver room is overloaded with players but not necessarily with a clear pecking order. Senior Jonathan Mingo is expected to be the star. Transfer portal adds Jaylon Robinson (UCF), Jordan Watkins (Louisville) and Malik Heath (Mississippi State) bolster the experience in the room. Then there are Dannis Jackson, Jalen Knox, Bralon Brown, JJ Henry, Brandon Buckhaulter and freshmen Larry Simmons and Jeremiah Dillon all competing for reps. It's a crowded room. Expect plenty of rotation. But if Ole Miss wants its offense to run as smoothly as it did last year, it'll need two or three players other than Mingo to emerge as reliable targets to bring variety to the passing attack. - The Clarion Ledger

Sr/2023

WR Jonathan Mingo, Mississippi
News Source: The Clarion Ledger
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08/01/22 - Spencer Sanders, rSr/2024, Mississippi + More +

2022 PRESEASON WALTER CAMP PLAYER OF YEAR PLAYER TO WATCH: Spencer Sanders, QB, senior, Oklahoma State,...The returning first team All-Big 12 quarterback after leading the conference in total offense and total offense per game in 2021, Sanders has 24 wins as OSU's starting quarterback and needs eight more to tie Mason Rudolph for the most wins as a starting quarterback in school history. His 6,911 career passing yards total ranks among the top 10 of all returning Power Five players and ranks as the second-most in school history for any player entering his senior season. - Oklahoma State Football

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QB Spencer Sanders, Mississippi
News Source: Oklahoma State Football
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08/01/22 - Zamari Walton, rSr/2024, Mississippi + More +

Rather than sharing a secondary with the likes of Tre Swilling, Juanyeh Thomas and Tariq Carpenter, Georgia Tech cornerback Zamari Walton will team with a new set of defensive backs to assist in thwarting opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers. Swilling, Thomas and Carpenter left Tech with 114 combined starts, an exceeding wealth of experience. Tech's secondary returnees total 38 career starts, and 27 of those belong to Walton, a three-year starter from Melbourne, Fla.

Yet, as the preseason approaches, Walton doesn't lack for confidence in what his group can do. "Oh, yeah, most definitely," said Walton, asked if he thought the secondary could be better than last year. "You can already see it now." On its face, Walton's forecast is ambitious. Talent-wise, the new cast has some holes to fill. Carpenter was drafted in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers, Swilling (Tennessee Titans) and Thomas (Dallas Cowboys) signed undrafted free-agent contracts and safety Wesley Walker transferred to Tennessee. "Guys are working together; we're doing a lot of stuff off the field just to keep building that chemistry and just getting to know each other." - Atlanta Journal Constitution

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CB Zamari Walton, Mississippi
News Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
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07/29/22 - Isaac Ukwu, rSr/2024, Mississippi + More +

As James Madison makes its Sun Belt Conference debut at the league's annual Media Days in the Big Easy, the program continues to see an increase in its ticket sales. The Dukes have sold 7,455 season tickets, which is just 100 shy of an all-time record, JMU assistant athletic director for communications Kevin Warner told the Daily News-Record on Tuesday. "Great support keeps growing from JMU Nation!!" JMU Athletic Director Jeff Bourne tweeted after the DN-R reported the updated sales statistics. "Season tickets [are] still available, just over a month until kickoff!" JMU has seen an increase in sales since mid-May, when they had sold 6,626 season seats to that point. - Daily News-Record

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DE Isaac Ukwu, Mississippi
News Source: Daily News-Record
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07/28/22 - Troy Brown, rSr/2023, Mississippi + More +

2022 PRESEASON BUTKUS AWARD WATCHLIST: Troy Brown, Ole Miss,...Brown, a three-time first-team All-MAC selection, started 30 career games for the Chippewas over the last four seasons. Brown finished his career at CMU with 215 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, five interceptions and three forced fumbles. The Flint, Michigan, native was a first-team all-conference selection last season despite missing two games in the middle of the season with an injury. His first game back, against Western Michigan, saw him make nine tackles, a sack and an interception that sealed the 42-30 win. He finished the 2021 campaign with 66 total tackles. Brown's best statistical year came in 2019, his first season as a linebacker. In 2019, Brown finished with 91 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions as a sophomore. His 75 solo tackles ranked second in the MAC and No. 20 nationally. - Ole Miss Football

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OLB Troy Brown, Mississippi
News Source: Ole Miss Football
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07/28/22 - Nick Broeker, Sr/2023, Mississippi + More +

2022 PRESEASON OUTLAND TROPHY WATCHLIST: G Nick Broeker, Ole Miss,...Broeker, a preseason All-America selection by Athlon Sports, is yet to miss a game in his collegiate career. He started all 13 games at left tackle in 2021, playing in nearly all offensive snaps (927). Broeker allowed just two sacks in 497 pass blocking snaps, paving the way for the sixth-ranked total offense (492.5) in the country, as well as the No. 12 rushing offense (217.6). A multi-year starter for the Rebels, Broeker will hold down a new position along the Rebel offensive front in 2022. After starting every game at left tackle over the past two seasons, Broeker will move to left guard, where he projects to play at the next level. - Ole Miss Football

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OG Nick Broeker, Mississippi
News Source: Ole Miss Football
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07/25/22 - Zamari Walton, rSr/2024, Mississippi + More +

Georgia Tech running back Dontae Smith is not immune to venturing into the den of the unwashed - perusing Twitter to read users' comments about his football team. "I do see what they say, and I do take it into account," Smith said. "And I'm so ready to prove everybody wrong." After three consecutive three-win seasons, frustration is high within the Yellow Jackets fan base, and expressions of that animus - mostly with coach Geoff Collins - are perhaps most unshackled in the social-media sphere of Twitter.

It was revealed, too, in the home attendance (lowest since 1989) and in the sea of red that was the backdrop for Tech's final home game last season against Georgia. "I mean, obviously, there's going to be a lot of negativity when you have the past three seasons we have," tight end Dylan Leonard said. "When you have three wins (each) the past three seasons, you don't blame them. Crowds are going to show up when you're good, and they're not going to be there much when you're not doing as well. We realize that. I'm not stuck up about it or anything like that. I think that's with every fan base and every Twitter fan base you go to." But, as is perhaps the case with every team that is counting down the days to the start of the preseason, the Jackets believe better days are ahead this season. Leonard, Smith and cornerback Zamari Walton all shared different reasons for their belief at the ACC Kickoff media event Thursday in Charlotte, N.C. "I definitely feel like it's our time," Walton said. "Definitely why not Georgia Tech?" - Atlanta Journal Constitution

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CB Zamari Walton, Mississippi
News Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution
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07/24/22 - JJ Pegues, rSr/2025, Mississippi + More +

JJ Pegues and safety Ladarius Tennison are two former Auburn players who transferred to Ole Miss this offseason. Pegues is an Oxford native getting to come home for his junior season and Tennison is coming to Mississippi after logging 43 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss in the last two seasons. Auburn defensive end Derick Hall, a Gulfport native, raved about his former teammates. "Ten is really good," Hall said. "He's smaller, he's shorter. But just the physique he plays with, his technique, the way he plays he's a weights player. Ten will light you up in a heartbeat and don't care nothing about it. And JJ, y'all saw the video of what he did to the guy freshman year at Ole Miss. It speaks for itself." Shenker said he stays in touch with Pegues. He said he and his teammates understand why players make decisions that are best for them but added Pegues and Tennison will be missed.

Hall says he "hates" that Pegues and Tennison left because of the unique aspect they added to the defense and the ways they helped Auburn grow. But as a Mississippi native, Hall gets to add Pegues and Tennison to the list of players he hears from after battling a home-state rival. "Those games do mean a lot to me just because of bragging rights," Hall said. "As soon as the game is over, you can call them and say 'I'm in the locker room and we just beat y'all.' And then it's the other way around. They'll call me and say 'Ah, you just lost.' So I'm mad at them and I'm blocking them for two or three weeks instead of them blocking me for two or three weeks. It's all fun and games, but obviously it comes down to winning a championship so we all love each other but at that time we're on the field, it's not the same." - The Clarion Ledger

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