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2017 Ole Miss Rebels football team

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2017 Ole Miss Rebels football
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionWestern Division
Record6–6 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorPhil Longo (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorWesley McGriff (1st;2nd overall season)
Co-defensive coordinatorJason Jones (5th season)
Home stadiumVaught–Hemingway Stadium (Capacity: 64,038)
Seasons
← 2016
2018 →
2017 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 2 Georgia x$^   7 – 1     13 – 2  
South Carolina   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Kentucky   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Missouri   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Florida   3 – 5     4 – 7  
Vanderbilt   1 – 7     5 – 7  
Tennessee   0 – 8     4 – 8  
Western Division
No. 10 Auburn xy   7 – 1     10 – 4  
No. 1 Alabama x#^   7 – 1     13 – 1  
No. 18 LSU   6 – 2     9 – 4  
No. 19 Mississippi State   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Texas A&M   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Ole Miss*   3 – 5     6 – 6  
Arkansas   1 – 7     4 – 8  
Championship: Georgia 28, Auburn 7
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * Ole Miss ineligible for postseason due to NCAA sanctions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2017 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rebels played their home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by then-interim head coach Matt Luke. They finished the season 6–6, 3–5 in SEC play to finish in sixth place in the Western Division.

On February 22, 2017, the University of Mississippi self-imposed a one-year ban from post-season play on the Ole Miss football team for the 2017 season, due to alleged NCAA violations.[1] On July 20, 2017, head coach Hugh Freeze resigned in the wake of allegations about repeated calls to a female escort service from his school-issued cell phone. He was given the ultimatum, either resign or be fired.

Schedule

Ole Miss announced its 2017 football schedule on September 13, 2016. The 2017 schedule consists of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Rebels will host SEC foes Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt, and will travel to Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, and Mississippi State.[2]

The Rebels will host three of the four non-conference opponents, Louisiana–Lafayette (ULL) and South Alabama which are both in the Sun Belt Conference and Tennessee-Martin (UT Martin) from the Ohio Valley Conference and will travel to Berkeley to play their first ever Pac-12 Conference opponent, the California Golden Bears.

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 26:30 p.m.South Alabama*
ESPNUW 47–2762,532
September 911:00 a.m.UT Martin*
  • Vaught–Hemingway Stadium
  • Oxford, MS
SECNW 45–2360,476
September 169:30 p.m.at California*
ESPNL 16–2737,125
September 308:00 p.m.at No. 1 Alabama
ESPNL 3–66101,821
October 711:00 a.m.at No. 12 Auburn
SECNL 23–4486,700
October 142:30 p.m.Vanderbiltdagger
  • Vaught–Hemingway Stadium
  • Oxford, MS (rivalry)
SECNW 57–3560,157
October 216:15 p.m.No. 24 LSU
ESPNL 24–4064,067
October 2811:00 a.m.Arkansas
  • Vaught–Hemingway Stadium
  • Oxford, MS (rivalry)
SECNL 37–3855,684
November 43:00 p.m.at Kentucky
SECNW 37–3455,665
November 1111:00 a.m.Louisiana–Lafayette*
  • Vaught–Hemingway Stadium
  • Oxford, MS
SECNW 50–2251,618
November 186:00 p.m.Texas A&M
  • Vaught–Hemingway Stadium
  • Oxford, MS
ESPN2L 24–3155,880
November 236:30 p.m.at No. 16 Mississippi State
ESPNW 31–2859,345
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[3]

Roster

2017 Ole Miss Rebels Football

Wide receiver

  • 1 A. J. Brown – SO-1L
  • 4 Tre Nixon – Redshirt FR
  • 5 Demarkus Lodge – JR-2L
  • 11 Markell Pack – SR-3L
  • 12 Van Jefferson – SO-1L
  • 14 DK Metcalf – SO-1L
  • 27 Cale Luke – SR-2L
  • 80 Josh Ricketts – FR-HS
  • 81 Trey Bledsoe – SR-3L
  • 82 Jared Farlow – FR-HS
  • 85 Alex Weber – JR-2L
  • 86 Walker Rynd – Redshirt FR
  • 88 Garrett Styles – FR-HS

Center & Long Snapper

  • 57 Chadwick Lamar – JR-2L
  • 58 Mike Taylor – SO-Sq
  • 61 Eli Johnson – Redshirt FR

Offensive lineman

  • 50 Sean Rawlings – JR-2L
  • 52 Michael Howard – SO-1L
  • 54 Jack DeFoor – Redshirt FR
  • 54 Sam Johnson – SO-Sq
  • 67 Alex Givens – SO-1L
  • 68 Chandler Tuitt – Redshirt FR
  • 70 Jordan Sims – JR-2L
  • 71 Bryce Mathews – Redshirt FR
  • 72 Royce Newman – Redshirt FR
  • 73 Rod Taylor – SR-3L
  • 74 Greg Little – SO-1L
  • 76 Daronte Bouldin – SR-3L
  • 79 Javon Patterson – JR-2L

Tight end

  • 15 Octavious Cooley – SO-1L
  • 16 Jacob Mathis – Redshirt FR
  • 43 Ty Quick – Redshirt SR-3L
  • 83 Gabe Angel – freshman
  • 84 Nick Haynes – freshman
  • 85 Dawson Knox – SO-1L
  

Quarterback

  • 7 Jason Pellerin – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 13 Grant Restmeyer – Redshirt FR
  • 16 Graham Lindman – JR-JC
  • 20 Shea Patterson – SO-1L

Tailback

  • 21 Keshun Wells – SO-JC
  • 22 Jordan Wilkins – SR-2L
  • 26 Eugene Brazley – SR-3L
  • 24 Eric Swinney – SO-1L
  • 25 D.K. Buford – JR-2L
  • 28 D'Vaughn Pennamon – SO-1L

Defensive tackle

  • 9 Breeland Speaks – JR-2L
  • 52 Austrian Robinson – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 90 Ross Donelly – JR-2L
  • 95 Benito Jones – SO-1L
  • 96 Jordan Hebert – JR-2L
  • 99 Herbert Moore – Redshirt SR-3L

Defensive end

  • 14 Victor Evans – JR-2L
  • 19 Markel Winters – JR-JC
  • 34 Shawn Curtis – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 38 Marquis Haynes – senior
  • 84 Ty Reyes – Redshirt FR
  • 89 Ryder Anderson – FR-HS
  • 97 Qaadir Sheppard – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 98 Charles Wiley – Redshirt FR

Punter

  • 94 Will Gleeson – SR-3L
  • 96 Mac Brown- Redshirt FR
  

Defensive back

  • 2 Deontay Anderson- SO-1L
  • 4 C.J. Hampton – SR-3L
  • 5 Ken Webster – SR-3L
  • 7 Jalen Julius – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 15 Myles Hartsfield – SO-1L
  • 20 Jarrion Street – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 21 Javien Hamilton – JR-JC
  • 23 Breon Dixon – FR-HS
  • 25 Montrell Custis – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 26 C. J. Moore – JR-2L
  • 28 Cam Ordway – JR-2L
  • 29 Armani Linton – SO-1L
  • 30 A. J. Moore – SR-3L
  • 31 Jaylon Jones – Redshirt SO-1L
  • 32 Jerry Johnson – SO-JC
  • 36 Zedrick Woods – Redshirt JR-2L
  • 37 Art Mitchell – SO-HS
  • 39 Kweisi Fountain – SR-SQ.

Linebacker

  • 3 DeMarquis Gates – SR-3L
  • 17 Willie Hibbler – SO-1L
  • 22 Ray Ray Smith – SR-3L
  • 24 Tayler Polk – SR-3L
  • 35 Donta Evans – Redshirt FR
  • 41 Brenden Williams – SO-JC
  • 43 Detric Bing-Dukes- Redshirt JR-2L
  • 44 Alex Ashlock – Redshirt SR-3L
  • 48 Jack Raborn – Redshirt JR-2L
  • 80 Elliot Markuson – SR-3L

Place kicker

  • 92 Luke Logan – Redshirt FR
  • 95 Isaac Way – Redshirt FR
  • 97 Gary Wunderlich – SR-3L
Sources: [1]

Depth chart

Recruiting

Recruits

The Rebels signed a total of 23 recruits.

College recruiting information (2017)
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
D.D. Bowie
WR 		Morton, Mississippi Morton HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Oct 24, 2015 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Ben Brown
OT 		Vicksburg, Mississippi St. Aloysius HS 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 290 lb (130 kg) Feb 23, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Alex Faniel
QB 		Richmond, Virginia Glen Allen HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jun 2, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Josh Clarke
LB 		Jefferson, Louisiana Riverdale HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jun 13, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
AJ Harris
S 		Madison, Alabama Bob Jones HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jul 24, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Jamar Richardson
CB 		Aliceville, Alabama Aliceville HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 167 lb (76 kg) Jul 25, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Javien Hamilton
CB 		Bay Springs, Mississippi Bay Springs HS/Jones County Junior College 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Aug 6, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Ryder Anderson
DE 		Katy, Texas Katy HS 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Nov 28, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Brenden Williams
LB 		Fairfield, Alabama Restoration Academy/Northeast Mississippi Community College 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Dec 10, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals: N/A   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Jordan Ta'amu
QB 		Roswell, New Mexico New Mexico Military Institute 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Dec 10, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Markel Winters
DE 		Tallahassee, Florida Rickards HS/Jones County CC 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 260 lb (120 kg) Dec 14, 2016 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Breon Dixon
LB 		Loganville, Georgia Grayson HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 218 lb (99 kg) Jan 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Isaiah Woullard
RB 		Hattiesburg, Mississippi Presbyterian Christian School 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jan 31, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:2/5 stars    ESPN: N/A
Chester Graves
DE 		Kansas City, Missouri Park Hill HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Mohamed Sanogo
LB 		Plano, Texas Plano West HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 239 lb (108 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Tony Gray
OT 		Loganville, Georgia Grayson HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 290 lb (130 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
C.J. Miller
S 		Powder Springs, Georgia McEachern HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 188 lb (85 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Braylon Sanders
WR 		Hogansville, Georgia Callaway HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 186 lb (84 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Taekion Reed
OT 		Columbus, Mississippi New Hope HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 295 lb (134 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Kam White
DB 		Clinton, Mississippi Clinton HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 203 lb (92 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
JaVonta Payton
WR 		Nashville, Tennessee Hillsboro HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Sincere David
DT 		Jacksonville, Florida Sandalwood HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 300 lb (140 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN: N/A
Zikerrion Baker
LB 		Mooringsport, Louisiana Minden HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Feb 1, 2017 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Ole Miss Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  • "2017 Ole Miss Football Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.

Personnel

Coaching staff

  • Matt Luke, Interim Head Coach
  • Phil Longo, Assistant Coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
  • Wesley McGriff, Assistant Coach/defensive coordinator
  • Maurice Harris, Assistant Coach/recruiting coordinator For Offense/tight ends
  • Jason Jones, Assistant Coach/co-defensive coordinator/secondary
  • Jack Bicknell Jr., Assistant Coach/offensive line
  • Derrick Nix, Assistant Coach/running backs
  • Jacob Peeler, Assistant Coach/wide receivers
  • Bradley Dale Peveto, Assistant Coach/linebackers and Special Teams
  • Freddie Roach, Assistant Coach/defensive line[5]

Coaching staff changes

After the conclusion of the 2016 season, adjustments throughout the coaching staff were made. After defensive coordinator Dave Wommack announced his retirement from coaching,[6] offensive coordinator Dan Werner was fired.[7] The team would hire Wesley McGriff to replace Wommack as the defensive coordinator, Jacob Peeler to replace Grant Heard as the wide receivers coach, Tray Scott to replace Chris Kiffin as the defensive line coach, and Wesley McGriff (who took over as the defensive coordinator) to also coach the safeties, replacing safeties coach Corey Batoon. Also, assistant athletics director Barney Farrar was relieved of his duties.[8]

NCAA investigation

Following a lengthy investigation, the NCAA issued a Notice of Allegations against the Ole Miss football program in January 2016. The university announced that it had received an amended Notice of Allegations on February 22, 2017.

In total, the NCAA brought 21 distinct charges against the football program, individual coaches and athletic department officials, and boosters. These include fifteen Level I violations (the most serious).[9]

Four of the eleven Level I violations occurred or involved coaches employed prior to Coach Hugh Freeze's tenure. The Level I offenses include:

  • Two former coaches conspired with an ACT testing supervisor to manipulate tests so prospective players could qualify.[10]
  • Coaches arranged for a booster to provide "free housing, meals and transportation to then football prospective student-athletes" in connection with a program established to help prospects qualify under NCAA guidelines.[11]
  • A "huddle leader" who was also a booster under NCAA guidelines provided numerous impermissible benefits to three prospects in 2012 and 2013, including paying for several trips to Ole Miss, lodging, game tickets and concessions, merchandise, tutoring assistance, and ACT exam preparation.[11]
  • A booster gave a football player's family member $800.[11]
  • A booster provided at least three different prospects with free athletic merchandise.[11]
  • A hotel owner in Oxford provided impermissible lodging to various prospects and their friends and family members.[12][11]
  • Two boosters (Boosters 12 and 14) had several improper contacts with a prospect (Student-Athlete 39) and made multiple cash payments to him, totaling between $13,000 and $15,600. The NCAA alleges that an Ole Miss assistant athletic director "initiated and facilitated [Booster 12] and [Booster 14’s] recruiting contact and communication with [Student-Athlete 39], and knew at the time that [Booster 12] and [Booster 14] provided [Student-Athlete 39] with cash payments."[11]
  • This assistant athletic director intentionally misled the NCAA concerning these allegations.[11]
  • Hugh Freeze "violated NCAA head coach responsibility legislation as he is presumed responsible" for 16 violations "and did not rebut that presumption."[11]
  • "[B]etween May and June 2010 and from May 2012 through January 2016, the institution failed to exercise institutional control and monitor the conduct and administration of its athletics program."[11]

Ole Miss announced several self-imposed penalties in May 2017, including a post-season ban in 2017, three years of probation, a reduction of 11 scholarships, and a variety of recruiting restrictions.[9][13]

The NCAA Committee on Infractions hearing concluded on September 12, 2017.[14]

References

  1. ^ Schlabach, Mark (February 22, 2017). "Ole Miss football self-imposes one-year postseason ban for 2017". ESPN. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  2. ^ "2017 Ole Miss Football Schedule Announced" (Press release). University of Mississippi Department of Athletics. September 13, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  3. ^ "2017 Ole Miss Rebels Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "An updated look at Ole Miss football's depth chart". Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  5. ^ "Football Coaching Staff". CBS Interactive. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  6. ^ "Ole Miss DC Dave Wommack to retire". Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  7. ^ "Ole Miss fires co-offensive coordinator Werner". Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  8. ^ "A full breakdown of Hugh Freeze's new coaching staff". Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  9. ^ a b "Mississippi concludes NCAA infractions hearing". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  10. ^ "The NCAA's 21 Ole Miss charges, ranked by zestiness". SBNation.com. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Information about NCAA Case | 2017 Notice of Allegations". athleticsworking.wp2.olemiss.edu. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  12. ^ "Ole Miss responds to NCAA NOA, imposes double-digit scholarship reduction in football". Red-Cup-Rebellion. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  13. ^ Thamel, Pete. "What will happen to Ole Miss, Hugh Freeze in NCAA case?". SI.com. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  14. ^ "Ole Miss completes its Committee on Infractions hearing, waits for ruling". The Clarion Ledger. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
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