Alabama Football: Assessing four SEC challengers on 2023 schedule

Alabama Football Opponent Preview: Ole Miss Rebels

Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss team is intriguing as always. The Rebels have been perennially formidable under Kiffin, but have been unable to get over the hump in the SEC West.

The biggest question surrounding Ole Miss in 2023 is the quarterback situation, which at the very least will be a 2-man battle. The Rebels return dual-threat Jaxson Dart, who tallied 3,588 yards of offense with 21 total touchdowns last season.

They also bring in Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders, who started for four years in Stillwater and has racked up over 11,500 total yards in his career.

The two have similar styles, with Sanders boasting more playing experience and Dart being a slightly more efficient passer. Regardless of who takes the reins to the Ole Miss offense, the Rebels will have multiple Power-5 starters on the roster. Just for good measure, Kiffin also landed LSU transfer Walker Howard, who was a borderline 5-star in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Sophomore running back Quinshon Judkins is the sure thing in the Ole Miss backfield. Judkins was the National Freshman of the Year and one of the best running backs in the country in 2022. He set school records with 1,567 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, all while splitting carries with the now-departed Zach Evans, who racked up nearly 1,000 yards in his own right.

Judkins has a very legitimate opportunity to eclipse 2,000 yards as a sophomore, and should be the undisputed centerpiece of the Ole Miss offense.

Ole Miss led all P5 schools in rushing yards and rushing attempts last season. With impact receivers Jonathan Mingo and Malik Heath no longer in Oxford, the Rebels could lean even more heavily on the run.

Wideouts Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins will have chances to step up, but tight end Caden Prieskorn could be the most reliable pass catcher on the team. Prieskorn transfers in from Memphis after leading the Tigers in receiving in 2022.

Much like Tennessee, Ole Miss’ ceiling might be capped due to its underwhelming defense. The Rebels should once again have one of the nation’s premier rushing attacks, and will be good enough offensively to win eight or nine games by outscoring its opponents.

Unless it makes a dramatic improvement defensively, it’s tough to see Ole Miss jumping teams like LSU and Alabama.

Still, this will be a worthy challenge for the Crimson Tide. Alabama football hosts Ole Miss in week four to kick off its SEC schedule. We should know very quickly how stingy Kevin Steele’s unit will be against the run.

It won’t be easy for Bama to return to the mountaintop in 2023. It is assisted by a more favorable road schedule, with its toughest away games coming at Texas A&M and at Auburn. Coach Saban and his revamped coaching staff should have the team ready.