Neal McCready
Over the past 24-36 hours, as rumors — I’m still calling them rumors, but I don’t really think they’re rumors anymore — have percolated regarding DJ Durkin leaving to take another defensive coordinator job (I think it’s Texas A&M and people close to Texas A&M think it’s Texas A&M, but I do wonder if it might be somewhere else), the name that has popped up a lot regarding Ole Miss is Kevin Steele.
The former Alabama, Tennessee, LSU and Auburn assistant intrigues Lane Kiffin, in large part because of his knowledge of the league and his recruiting prowess. It’s believed Steele could and would bring a couple of high-level recruiters with him (yes, I’ve heard names, but I’m uncomfortable going there) and I think there is a sense within the Ole Miss program that recruiting has to improve overall to stay at this level and take the next step.
Now, let me make this crystal clear. Nothing with Steele, one way or the other, is done. On one hand, per a source close to Steele, he’s also potentially in the mix for openings at Miami and Maryland. On the other hand, a hypothetical decision to hire Steele at Ole Miss would have ramifications on the current coaching staff.
I do believe, based on conversations, promoting co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge to the exclusive top defensive post is an option, perhaps a very attractive one. Honestly, we just don’t know. However, Steele’s name is flying around, and trust me, the current Ole Miss staff knows it.
As you might expect, there’s a lot of recruiting going on right now that doesn’t involve the transfer portal. There are players who aren’t yet in the portal who are very much on Ole Miss’ radar. We obviously won’t go into names, but I think both Chase and I would feel very comfortable saying things are very active both in and around the transfer portal.
I do think there is positive momentum for Ole Miss with TCU transfer portal running back Zach Evans, though there are enough academic concerns to harbor at least a modicum of skepticism. I like Ole Miss’ place with Evans right now, but I wouldn’t be penciling him into a depth chart at this moment (insert depth chart joke here).
I’ll obviously ask Chance Campbell about his future when we visit next week, but I’m hearing it’s at least 50-50 he will return to Ole Miss next season. Interestingly, a source told me Thursday night Ole Miss safety A.J. Finley wasn’t thrilled with some early NFL feedback and is thinking hard about returning to Ole Miss for another season, in hopes of improving his stock. Earlier this season, there had been some talk that Finley could bolt for the NFL after this campaign.
This won’t be surprising, I don’t think, but I have heard Kiffin has approached Kinkead Dent and urged him to be patient and stay at Ole Miss. Dent plans to do that, I was told.
Chase Parham
While we're always going to talk more about on-field roles, I don't think the turnover will be limited to that. There should be some shakeup in support roles, as well. I know at one point football operations AD John Miller was set to retire, but I think he's at least thinking about staying on. Miller initially retired in 2019 but came back in 2020. The really frequent rumor around town is that Ole Miss football GM Matt Lindsey won't be back.His role has diminished over the past months.
As Neal said, there is about to be another flurry of transfer portal options, and Ole Miss is set to be in on several of them at key positions. Full disclosure: I know nothing about quarterback options.
I don't know that a final decision has or hasn't been made, but sources believe left tackle Nick Broeker is leaning towards returning to the Rebels for 2022.
Mark Passwaters at the Texas A&M Rivals site wrote this at 3:37 p.m. today, saying the hire could be announced in the next couple days:
There has been some discussion about who will replace Mike Elko as the defensive coordinator and it looks like the Aggies have their guy: Ole Miss' DJ Durkin. I'm frankly surprised at this, because he is not from the Jimbo coaching tree and he comes with significant baggage -- a player died under his watch at Maryland. But, as we saw in Oxford, Durkin pieced together a pretty serviceable defense and runs a scheme close to what Elko ran. He was also a model citizen at Ole Miss.
Over the past 24-36 hours, as rumors — I’m still calling them rumors, but I don’t really think they’re rumors anymore — have percolated regarding DJ Durkin leaving to take another defensive coordinator job (I think it’s Texas A&M and people close to Texas A&M think it’s Texas A&M, but I do wonder if it might be somewhere else), the name that has popped up a lot regarding Ole Miss is Kevin Steele.
The former Alabama, Tennessee, LSU and Auburn assistant intrigues Lane Kiffin, in large part because of his knowledge of the league and his recruiting prowess. It’s believed Steele could and would bring a couple of high-level recruiters with him (yes, I’ve heard names, but I’m uncomfortable going there) and I think there is a sense within the Ole Miss program that recruiting has to improve overall to stay at this level and take the next step.
Now, let me make this crystal clear. Nothing with Steele, one way or the other, is done. On one hand, per a source close to Steele, he’s also potentially in the mix for openings at Miami and Maryland. On the other hand, a hypothetical decision to hire Steele at Ole Miss would have ramifications on the current coaching staff.
I do believe, based on conversations, promoting co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge to the exclusive top defensive post is an option, perhaps a very attractive one. Honestly, we just don’t know. However, Steele’s name is flying around, and trust me, the current Ole Miss staff knows it.
As you might expect, there’s a lot of recruiting going on right now that doesn’t involve the transfer portal. There are players who aren’t yet in the portal who are very much on Ole Miss’ radar. We obviously won’t go into names, but I think both Chase and I would feel very comfortable saying things are very active both in and around the transfer portal.
I do think there is positive momentum for Ole Miss with TCU transfer portal running back Zach Evans, though there are enough academic concerns to harbor at least a modicum of skepticism. I like Ole Miss’ place with Evans right now, but I wouldn’t be penciling him into a depth chart at this moment (insert depth chart joke here).
I’ll obviously ask Chance Campbell about his future when we visit next week, but I’m hearing it’s at least 50-50 he will return to Ole Miss next season. Interestingly, a source told me Thursday night Ole Miss safety A.J. Finley wasn’t thrilled with some early NFL feedback and is thinking hard about returning to Ole Miss for another season, in hopes of improving his stock. Earlier this season, there had been some talk that Finley could bolt for the NFL after this campaign.
This won’t be surprising, I don’t think, but I have heard Kiffin has approached Kinkead Dent and urged him to be patient and stay at Ole Miss. Dent plans to do that, I was told.
Chase Parham
While we're always going to talk more about on-field roles, I don't think the turnover will be limited to that. There should be some shakeup in support roles, as well. I know at one point football operations AD John Miller was set to retire, but I think he's at least thinking about staying on. Miller initially retired in 2019 but came back in 2020. The really frequent rumor around town is that Ole Miss football GM Matt Lindsey won't be back.His role has diminished over the past months.
As Neal said, there is about to be another flurry of transfer portal options, and Ole Miss is set to be in on several of them at key positions. Full disclosure: I know nothing about quarterback options.
I don't know that a final decision has or hasn't been made, but sources believe left tackle Nick Broeker is leaning towards returning to the Rebels for 2022.
Mark Passwaters at the Texas A&M Rivals site wrote this at 3:37 p.m. today, saying the hire could be announced in the next couple days:
There has been some discussion about who will replace Mike Elko as the defensive coordinator and it looks like the Aggies have their guy: Ole Miss' DJ Durkin. I'm frankly surprised at this, because he is not from the Jimbo coaching tree and he comes with significant baggage -- a player died under his watch at Maryland. But, as we saw in Oxford, Durkin pieced together a pretty serviceable defense and runs a scheme close to what Elko ran. He was also a model citizen at Ole Miss.
