Preseason Football – Mackey takes first snaps on offense

Petre Thomas | The Daily Mississippian
Randall Mackey passes during the scrimmage Saturday.
Mackey took the first snaps on Tuesday.

By David Henson

The Ole Miss football team hit the practice field again Tuesday in preparation for the season opener against BYU on Sept. 3.

Head coach Nutt said the goal of Tuesday’s practice was to put the team in game-like situations.

“We put our guys in a lot of situations today,” Nutt said. “We put them in one coming off of the goal line, put them in one going into the red zone, goal line offense and we worked on two-minute drills.

“We are just trying to play the game and put them in different situations. I thought they responded for the most part but we just have to continue to get better.”

Nutt said that last Saturday’s scrimmage did not result in deciding on a starting quarterback. While sophomore Barry Brunetti has been the first to go in fall practice, juniors Randall Mackey and Zack Stoudt have also shared time with the first-team offense in fall practice. On Tuesday, however, Mackey took the first snaps.

“I like all three of them,” Nutt said of his quarterbacks. “I’m not afraid to put any of them into the game. All of them are competing very hard. Mackey has really stepped it up these past two days.

Nutt said that Mackey has stepped it up over the past few days, and that he was looking forward to the next scrimmage.

“They have all gotten better,” Nutt said. “They know they are in a battle.”

While he had talked about potentially having a second scrimmage Wednesday afternoon, Nutt said he decided to just have the scrimmage Saturday evening.

Other notes

Freshman defensive back Senquez Golson, who turned down the Boston Red Sox on Monday night, is expected to return Wednesday. 

Sophomore Patrick Junen was back with the first-team offense at left guard Tuesday, after working behind freshman Aaron Morris on Monday.

Golson turns down Red Sox, will return to Ole Miss

File photo
Senquez Golson chose playing at Ole Miss over becoming a
baseball pro now.

By Austin Miller

Senquez Watch is now officially over. Senquez Golson, a two-sport standout from Pascagoula turned down the Boston Red Sox and elected to return to Ole Miss.

After Saturday’s scrimmage, Golson and his family met with Red Sox representatives in Oxford, before going to Boston to take a physical and continue contract negotiations.

The drama continued throughout the day Monday, up to the midnight deadline for teams to sign draft picks. On the gridiron, Golson looks to compete for playing time at cornerback with sophomore Charles Sawyer, senior Marcus Temple, junior Wesley Pendleton and freshman two-way player Nickolas Brassel.

Golson, an eighth round pick in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft, batted .345 with three home runs and 16 stolen bases last season. The outfielder joins a heralded recruiting class that only lost Michael Reed (5th round/Milwaukee Brewers) and Ryan Hornback (27^th round/Pittsburgh Pirates) to major league clubs.

In negotiations that also continued up to Monday’s deadline, Jake Overbey (10^th round/Philadelphia Phillies) and Dylan Chavez (32^nd round/Minnesota Twins) turned down their respective teams and will play baseball at Ole Miss. 

Preseason Football – Defensive backs improve, Morris practices with first-team offense

Petre Thomas | The Daily Mississippian
Freshman Aaron Morris lines up during the scrimmage saturday.

By David Henson and Bennett Hipp

The Ole Miss football team hit the practice field Monday afternoon after reviewing film of Saturday’s scrimmage on Sunday.

After practice Monday, head coach Houston Nutt was pleased with his team’s return to the field.

“We had our best work day today,” Nutt said. “We started early and did a really good job of focusing and concentrating.”

Nutt mentioned junior defensive back Aaron Garbutt, senior defensive end Wayne Dorsey, senior defensive tackles Justin Smith and redshirt freshman defensive tackles Byron Bennett and Carlton Martin as players who stood out on defense Monday.

Offensively, Nutt singled out freshman wide receiver Tobias Singleton.

“Tobias Singleton had an awesome day,” Nutt said. “I thought he caught the ball extremely well. He made some big plays for us today, really proud of him.”

Nutt praised the offensive line for having a very physical day on Monday, after not going as hard as he would like to see during Saturday’s scrimmage.

Improvements in the secondary

It is no secret that the young Ole Miss secondary struggled last season. Ole Miss brought in new defensive backs coach Keith Burns from Kansas State and, after a spring and one week of fall camp, the improvements can be seen on the field.

Nutt was impressed with the performance by the corners in Saturday’s scrimmage.

“Marcus Temple, Wesley Pendleton, and Charles Sawyer – those three guys are really doing a good job of playing the ball,” Nutt said. “They are very quick, fast and are doing a good job of coverage.”

Burns echoed Nutt’s sentiments about the way his corners played Saturday.

“Overall, we did well,” Burns said. “The guys we are counting on – I thought they stepped up and made plays. Outside of the one play they caught along the sideline, we eliminated the big play.

“I love their attitude and I love their work ethic.”

Morris makes push to start

The Ole Miss offensive line has received lots of attention and accolades as the 2011 season approaches. The unit is filled with veteran talent and has great depth. However, part of that depth may be forcing its way into a starting role.

After Saturday’s scrimmage where freshman Aaron Morris was the “most physical lineman,” according to head coach Houston Nutt, Morris worked with the first-team offensive line at left guard during Monday’s practice.

“Aaron Morris has made a huge jump,” Nutt said. “He is very mature for his age. He was the most physical offensive lineman in the scrimmage Saturday and that is why he is in that starting spot.”

Ole Miss offensive line coach Mike Markuson also praised the import Morris has had during fall camp, but mentioned the depth chart is fluid

“For a true freshman, he’s done a lot of good things. We’re really pleased with his progress,” Markuson said. “That thing (the depth chart) is subject to change every day.

“You just keep working and see what the next guy does compared to that guy and just keep working on it.”

While Morris has impressed with his physical play on the field, he’s still working on getting the playbook down after switching sides from backup right guard to starting left guard on Monday.

“We moved him to the left side,” Markuson said. “He’s been at right for a week, so he’s spinning a little bit.

“Football players play fast when they know what to do. He’s not quite there yet. He’ll get better. He’ll get it.”

Injury Watch

After practice Monday, coach Nutt said that junior tight end Alex Williams tore his ACL late in the scrimmage Saturday and would be out for the year. Nutt also said that junior defensive tackle Gilbert Pena had a fracture in his hand, but expected him to be back in about three days.

Rebels scrimmage for first time, Quarterback race too close to call

Petre Thomas | The Daily Mississippian
Sophomore Barry Brunetti rushes during Saturday's scrimmage.
Brunetti unofficially had 3 carries for 50 yards.

By David Henson

The 2011 Ole Miss football team played their first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday afternoon in front of approximately 2000 fans at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium.

After the scrimmage, head coach Houston Nutt said he was impressed with his team’s performance.

“I thought we had a good day,” Nutt said. “It was so good to see Lockett out there, good to see him get some of the rust off. I thought that the offensive line did a really good job on a couple of series. I thought they executed really well.

“They came after it,” Nutt said of the freshmen. “I love their energy. I love what the freshmen bring to our team — they don’t act like freshmen.”

Senior defensive end Lockett finished with two tackles and an interception, which he returned to the 1-yard line before being brought down by sophomore quarterback Barry Brunetti.

Nutt also praised the play of his offense, particularly his quarterbacks, even with the team deciding to sit out running backs Brandon Bolden and Jeff Scott. Senior running back Enrique Davis took the majority of the first team snaps and took advantage, scoring two touchdowns on the ground.

All eyes on the quarterbacks

The Rebels went into their first scrimmage still undecided at quarterback.

Nutt was pleased with how the quarterbacks performed in their first scrimmage, but admitted that they had some work to do.

“Each one of the quarterbacks can do something a little different, which is good,” Nutt said.

Unofficially, Brunetti was 2-for-6 passing for 25 yards, three carries for 50 yards, and threw the one interception to Lockett. 

Junior Randall Mackey was 3-for-9 passing for 82 yards with 3 carries for 26 yards. 

Junior Zack Stoudt started slow, but finished his day 3-for-9 passing for 41 yards, including a touchdown toss to freshman wide receiver Donte Moncrief.

Brunetti said that the offense started well, but got a little tired as the scrimmage went on. Brunetti also complimented the play of the defensive backs. He had a long run early in the scrimmage, only to be brought down short of the endzone. Later in the scrimmage, freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson had a big hit on Brunetti, knocking his helmet off.

“Last time I got hit that hard was against South Panola by (2012 Ole Miss commitment) Issac Gross,” Brunetti said. “That’s a part of the game. You have to be able to take hits and get back up.”

Mackey said afterwards that a decision on the starting quarterback for the season opener against BYU on September 3 had not yet been made.

“Coach Lee still hasn’t decided that yet,” Mackey said of the starting job. “He is still telling us to work hard every day, so that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to come back tomorrow, watch film and see our mistakes and correct it and keep on going.”

Lockett impresses in return, Golson’s decision looms

By Bennett Hipp

Petre Thomas | The Daily Mississippian
Defensive end Kentrell Lockett intercepted Barry Brunetti's pass and ran it to
the 1-yard-line, where Brunetti brought him down.

The Rebels defense performed well, scoring a defensive touchdown and keeping pressure on the quarterbacks.

Defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix said he was pleased with what he saw.

“I saw a lot of good things,” Nix said. “I saw some inconsistency, but I saw some playmakers and saw some guys get pressure on the quarterback. Sometimes we did that when we brought more guys, but sometimes we did it with a four-man rush. I really like how our guys played.”

Even though he still isn’t quite back to 100 percent, senior defensive end Kentrell Lockett had one of the bigger plays of the day when he recorded an interception and returned it down to the 1-yard line.

“The guy that stood out to me the most – first of all – was Kentrell Lockett,” Nix said. “You’re talking about a guy who’s experienced and who is a leader.

“They take the opening drive down and score. We decide to go back the other way, and he bats the ball up and gets in the end zone.”

In addition to Lockett, who unofficially recorded two tackles to go along with his interception, senior defensive end Wayne Dorsey also caught Nix’s eye. Unofficially, Dorsey recorded five tackles and a sack during Saturday’s scrimmage.

“Wayne Dorsey really improved,” Nix said. “He really improved a lot. He’s shown flashes. I’d like to see him continue to improve.”

Golson’s decision coming down to the wire

A report surfaced Saturday afternoon that Ole Miss defensive back and baseball signee Senquez Golson had agreed to terms with the Boston Red Sox.

While that wasn’t the case, negotiations between Golson, an eighth round pick, and the Red Sox are ongoing and decision will come soon.

“It’ll be finalized either tonight or tomorrow,” Golson said of his decision. “That’s all I can say right now. I don’t know much.”

The signing deadline for teams to sign draft picks is midnight on August 15, so Golson will have to make a decision by then.

“(My parents) are in town,” Golson said. “A Red Sox guy is in town. I guess we’ll probably sit down, talk it out and see what is what.”

Golson said that the impending decision didn’t have any effect on how he played or his playing time in Saturday’s scrimmage.

“I came out and played hard, as if I’m going to be here,” Golson said.

Rebels prepare for Saturday’s scrimmage, Decision for Golson

By Bennett Hipp

Cain Madden | The Daily Mississippian
Senquez Golson, who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox, has a decision to make
by midnight Aug. 15: pro baseball now, or remain at Ole Miss.

Ole Miss had a relatively light practice Friday afternoon in preparation for Saturday night’s scrimmage, open to the public inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and scheduled for 6 p.m.

Ole Miss battles inconsistency

After being pleased with his team on Thursday, head coach Houston Nutt felt the Rebels struggled with consistency during Friday’s practice.

“We’ve got to have better focus,” Nutt said. “We had periods where things look good and then you lose focus. Get a little hot, get a little tired and you lose focus. You can’t do that, not in our league.”

The focus now shifts to the Rebels’ first scrimmage of fall practice Saturday night, as the newcomers who have impressed so far on the practice fields get their first chance to shine under the bright lights.

“Looking for some big things tomorrow,” Nutt said of Saturday’s scrimmage. “Finally, we put on every pad that we have, we buckle up both chinstraps and we go see who is physical on offense, physical on defense, who is going to tackle and who is going to make plays.”

On defense, Nutt mentioned freshman linebackers Keith Lewis, Serderius Bryant and C.J. Johnson, freshman defensive backs Senquez Golson, Chief Brown and Cody Brewitt, junior defensive back Aaron Garbutt and Senior cornerback Vincent Moss would be players to watch. 

On the other side of the ball, Nutt mentioned freshman wide receivers Tobias Singleton, Donte Moncrief, T.J. Worthy and Collins Moore and two of his tight ends - senior Layton Jones and sophomore Alex Williams.

“We’ll look at a lot of people” Nutt said. “We’ll have over 105 plays tomorrow.”

Decision time for Golson

Freshman defensive back Senquez Golson, a two-sport athlete from Pascagoula, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. The deadline is only a few days away — teams have until midnight on Aug. 15 to sign draft picks.

“It's a big decision,” Golson said. “I think the decision is pretty much made right now, just have to wait and see. I'm just playing it by ear right now.”

The Red Sox have increased their offer to Golson and have been in constant contact with him as the deadline approaches.

“They've been calling me pretty much every day,” Nutt said of the Red Sox. “There’s still an offer on the table. It’s a pretty good amount. They’ve upped it a good bit.”

Golson mentioned a couple of things that would be taken into account when he makes his decision.

“Just what is best for me,” Golson said of his decision. “My parents play a big role in it, especially my mother. That's the main thing. Would I rather stay here for three years and try to make something of myself or would I rather sign now and take care of my family.”

Preseason Football – Morris pushes for playing time, Quarterbacks perform

All Photos Cain Madden | The Daily Mississippian
Freshman wide receiver Nickolas Brassell catches a pass in practice Thursday.

By David Henson

Wednesday’s practice belonged to the defense.

Thursday could not have been any different, with the offense showing out. Ole Miss Coach Houston Nutt was pleased with the offensive performance after practice.

“I thought we competed really hard today,” Nutt said. “We got into some tight red zone today and guys rolled off the ball.”

Nutt mentioned sophomore wide receiver Philander Moore, junior tight end Jamal Mosley and freshman wide receivers Nickolas Brassell and Donte Moncrief — all made several catches. Nutt also mentioned freshman offensive lineman Aaron Morris as another freshman who will be pushing to see playing time this year.

“Aaron Morris keeps pushing himself to play,” Nutt said. “He could play at guard or tackle.”

Nutt said Morris is talented.

 “He keeps turning your head,” Nutt said. “As practice goes on and players start to tire, he keeps pushing himself.”

QUARTERBACKS IMPRESS LEE

After practice Thursday, Coach David Lee discussed the impressive day his quarterbacks displayed.

“We’ve been up and down, hot and cold,” Lee said. “We’ve looked good, we’ve not looked good.”

Lee said there are two reasons for that, having young players who are installing.

“This was our 6th installation,” Lee said. “We have 8 installations. We will have another Friday and another one Monday. At this point in time, I can just encourage our fans that we have got some really young talent that can be difference-makers in the fall. “

Lee said that he keeps an accuracy chart every practice. In order for a pass to be considered a completion, the ball must hit the receiver in the hands. Lee said that during Thursday’s practice, sophomore Barry Brunetti completed 13 of 16 passes with one rushing touchdown, junior Randall Mackey was 11 of 17 with three touchdowns and junior Zach Stoudt was 4 of 5 with one touchdown. Lee said this was the best performance by the quarterbacks to date.

NKEMDICHE RELIEVED

Freshman defensive back Denzel Nkemdiche was in shoulder pads again Thursday after being cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse on Monday.

“It was a huge relief,” Nkemdiche said. “I got the news when I was about to pull into Tupelo. I said a quick prayer when I took off from Georgia, and coach called me when I was about to pull into Tupelo that I was cleared, and I just kept coming.”

Nkemdiche said that while he back in Georgia awaiting word from the NCAA, several players were calling to let him know they were ready for him to get back.

"Donte Moncrief and a couple of the other freshmen were calling me and telling me they were getting after it," Nkemdiche said. "They wanted me to be here. Damien Jackson and Wayne Dorsey were telling me they wanted me and needed me to come back. It was tough."

Nkemdiche said he is beginning to feel like he is caught up with the rest of the team.

“I have been staying in the film room and studying the playbook,” Nkemdiche said. “I feel like I am catching up.”

Ole Miss will practice Friday at 4:30 p.m. on the practice field, in preparation for Saturday’s scrimmage, tentatively set for 6 p.m. Both Friday’s practice and Saturday’s scrimmage will be open to the public.

Preseason Football – Rebels go to full pads

Cain Madden | The Daily Mississippian
True Freshman Nickolas Brassell of Batesville makes a catch during Wednesday's
practice. Coach Huston Nutt said two-way player Brassell continues to impress him.

By Bennett Hipp

Ole Miss practiced in the full pads for the first time Wednesday afternoon, and the Rebels seemed somewhat sluggish as they made the transition from shoulder pads to full pads.

“The pads were a little extra weight on them today,” Nutt said. “You find out a lot about them – especially our younger people – about who can handle this mental part when we keep all these new installs going in.”

In what has become a norm this fall practice, Nutt had high praise for some of the freshmen that have continued to play well during practice.

“I’ve been really proud of guys like Keith Lewis, C.J. Johnson and Serderius Bryant,” Nutt said. “They continue to show up. Our freshman guys like Senquez Golson on defense, Chief Brown and Cody Prewitt. What an athlete, (Prewitt) can really run. I’m excited about him.”

Senior defensive end Kentrell Lockett returned to practice after being held out Tuesday with soreness in his patella tendon, while sophomore linebacker Ralph Williams saw more action after sophomore linebacker Mike Marry got banged up early in practice.

As the battle for playing time at the receiver position continues, only a couple of the receivers and tight ends showed out on Wednesday, according to Nutt. Freshman two-way player Nickolas Brassell continues to impress, while junior college transfer Jamal Mosley has been a revelation at tight end for the Rebels.

“Nick Brassell picked us up today,” Nutt said. “It seemed like he was about the only receiver that really got going – him and Jamal Mosley. Tobias Singleton also has been very consistent, but we’ve got to have more of those guys come on.”

Senior running back Brandon Bolden felt that the Rebels started to hit a wall towards the end of practice.

“You’ve got to push through it like coach Nutt kept saying,” Bolden said. “It is a man’s game and the best will rise.”

Ole Miss will practice in full pads for the second time on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. on the practice field, and it will be open to the public. Saturday’s scrimmage, tentatively set for 6 p.m., will also be open to the public.

Ole Miss unveils $150 million capital campaign

Releases renderings for new basketball arena, football stadium renovations and expansion

By David Henson

Ole Miss Athletics announced two phases of facility enhancement that could lead to championships, Athletics Director Pete Boone said.

The vision set for University of Mississippi athletics was unveiled Tuesday at the South Endzone club at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Boone called the day a landmark event for Ole Miss Rebel fans.

“The $150 million facilities initiative will be the cornerstone of future championships for the flagship university of this great state.” Boone said. “Coming off of two consecutive years of record-breaking athletics giving, there is no better time than now.”

Boone went on to say, “The path we have chosen will lead to championships. And the path we have chosen, we can do. Every bit of support will be critical to the success of creating these championship-level facilities.”

Photo by Petre Thomas | The Daily Mississippian
Danny White, the executive director of the UMAA Foundation, talks of the capital campaign
while Chancellor Dan Jones and Athletics Director Pete Boon look on.

Danny White, the executive director of the UMAA Foundation, said that the capital campaign, Forward Together, calls for everyone to come together and help reach that goal.

White said the process started about a year ago with gathering information and preparation for the campaign. White also noted that Ole Miss is partnering with AECOM, a technology and management support firm, and Row 27, a web-based sports marketing firm.

The total plan is to raise $150 million. Phase one will dedicate $100 million toward building a new 10,000-seat basketball arena, as well as concourse-related renovations to the football stadium. The remaining $50 million will be used to bowl in the North Endzone of the football stadium, bringing capacity to over 70,000.

“Our plan is to build a first-class, state-of-the-art basketball facility that will be home to our men’s and women’s baseball programs that our fans, coaches and student-athletes can be proud of,” White said of phase one of in a pre-recorded video shown to those in attendance.

“The Grove is the greatest tailgating atmosphere in college football,” White said. “We want to cater to that culture. We want to have a North Endzone plaza facing the Grove that will serve as an impressive front door to the football stadium.”

The goal is for the basketball arena and football concourse renovations and improvement to be finished by 2015-2016. The North Endzone addition would follow after that.

After the announcement, men’s basketball head coach Andy Kennedy discussed what the new arena will mean to his program.

“What this allows us, specifically as a men’s basketball program, is to say that we have obviously dealt with an aging facility and that facility has had issues from time to time,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the transition will help with marketing Men’s Rebel Basketball.

“More than anything, it creates a unique game day experience for our fans, and I think we are the only sport currently that can’t create that, just based on the logistics of the age of our facility,” Kennedy said. “I think that it immediately addresses that and it obviously gives us something to sell to future Rebels.”

Forward Together will be the biggest campaign in Ole Miss history. To view renderings of the projects or to donate to the Forward Together campaign, visit www.ForwardTogetherRebels.com.

Preseason Football – Stoudt shows improvement, Nkemdiche debuts

By Bennett Hipp

Ole Miss had its fourth practice of camp on Tuesday, and head coach Houston Nutt came away pleased with how his quarterbacks played.

“I thought the quarterbacks threw the ball really well today” Nutt said. “Zack Stoudt threw the ball really well today, I think at one time he was about nine of ten (on throws). (Randall) Mackey threw the ball well today, hit a couple of touchdowns. Barry (Brunetti) hit a couple touchdowns, so they are getting better, and we just have to keep going.”

Stoudt, a junior, had the best performance of the three quarterbacks on Tuesday. And Nutt was proud of how far he has come after being in the “doghouse” toward the end of spring practice.

“Well, it started in the summer,” Nutt said. “He went to every class and learned a valuable lesson, school-wise. He has just worked hard to try and win his teammates over again with leadership and work ethic.”

With the quarterbacks continuing to perform well, the challenge of naming a starter is becoming tougher by the day for the Ole Miss coaching staff.

‘We’ve got three guys that you’re not afraid to put any one of the three of them in the game,” Nutt said. “That’s a good feeling.”

Nutt said having that many guys ready to go at quarterback is not something he has ever had before.

“It’s going to be interesting in that first scrimmage and then the second scrimmage will come right after that pretty quickly on Wednesday,” Nutt said. “It’ll be interesting to see which two separate themselves.”

After an issue with the NCAA Clearinghouse, freshman defensive back Denzel Nkemdiche finally got on the practice field for the Rebels and played well in his first day.

“It was good to get Nkemdiche out here,” Nutt said. “He couldn’t go through everything, but he’s out here. He has to go without pads. He’s a day behind us, so we’ll bring him along slowly, but he looks good.”

Senior defensive end Kentrell Lockett sat out of practice Tuesday after experiencing soreness in his patella tendon as he recovers from an ACL injury.

“We also rested Lockett today, which was our plan,” Nutt said. “He will probably go every other day. When you have had the number of surgeries that he has had, you try to watch the swelling in this heat.”

Junior fullbacks H.R. Greer and E.J. Epperson sat out practice Tuesday as well. Greer was walking around in a boot with what is hoped to be only a bad ankle sprain. Epperson has a mild concussion and should be back in a couple days.

Ole Miss suits up in full pads for the first time Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. on the practice field, and it will be open to the public.