With the 2012 football season and recruiting period over, it is time to run down just where the teams in the Southeastern Conference are in preparing for the 2013 season.
Here is a thumbnail look at the Ole Miss Rebels.
2012 REVIEW: The 2012 season was a turnaround season for Ole Miss as the Rebels enjoyed a 7-6 season that included a bowl win overPittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl. The six losses were narrow ones to Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and LSU that came down to the final minute. Under new coach Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss is hoping to throw its hat in the SEC West championship race along with traditional powers like Alabama, LSU and upstart Texas A&M.
It was a standout season for wide receiver Donte Moncrief, quarterback Bo Wallace and linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche. With all three back, the future looks bright for Ole Miss.
SENIOR STARTERS LOST: Right guard A.J. Hawkins, tight end Jamal Mosley, running back/kick returner Randall Mackey, nose tackle Gilbert Pena, linebacker Joel Kight, place-kicker Bryson Rose, punter Jim Broadway
KEY JUNIORS WHO DECLARED FOR NFL DRAFT: None
RECRUITING NEEDS: The Rebels wanted to add more speed and athleticism and got it with the addition of one of the nation’s top classes. Building depth on defense is always good and the Rebels need a new punter and field goal/kickoff specialist.
COMMITMENTS: Rivals.com has Ole Miss as the fourth-best recruiting class in the Southeastern Conference and the seventh-best class in the nation. Hugh Freeze’s Rebels made a giant impression on Signing Day when they landed the nation’s top prospect defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, the younger brother of current Ole Miss standout Denzel Nkemdiche.
Ole Miss added three more five-star prospects on Signing Day in Laquon Treadwell, a 6-foot-3, 198-pound wide receiver from Crete, IL., who runs a 4.5 40. The other five-star prospects signed by the Rebels are Laremy Tunsil, is a 6-6, 295-pound offensive lineman from Lake City, Fla., and safety Antonio Connor, 6-2, 205, from Batesville, MS. Connor has been timed at 4.53 in the 40.
Rivals ranks Ole Miss’ class as the seventh-best nationally and fourth-best in the SEC.
Scout.com rates the Rebels’ class at 10 in the nation and No. 6 in the SEC.
MaxPreps.com ranked the Ole Miss class at No. 6 in the country and No. 4 in the SEC.
COACH SPEAK: Hugh Freeze: “It’s no question that this advances our journey a bit and the process we’re on to develop in the SEC West year in and year out. I think what we’re setting here in year one far surpasses. Our guys really chose to buy in and decided we can determine who we want to be. We don’t have to have someone else determine that. I didn’t know if we could (go to a bowl) or not, but I knew we could attack each week as an individual challenge and game. I was very clear with our goal in year one, that was to play with passion of football for our great university. I have no question, it was not always the prettiest thing, but I don’t doubt one single game that we didn’t give passion for our university.”