As Ole Miss works through the opening week of fall camp, two names are starting to separate themselves from the pack: Blake Purchase and Deuce Alexander.
That matters because the Rebels already know what they have in the established core. Head coach Pete Golding kept quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy and defensive tackle Will Echoles in place, and those are the familiar pieces. The bigger issue is figuring out who rises around them.
Up front, the most obvious concern sits on the defensive line, and more specifically in the pass rush. Ole Miss brings back Williams Echols and Kam Franklin, but it also has to replace last season’s sack leader, Princewill Umanmielen.
Suntarine Perkins is part of that answer, but not the whole answer. Purchase is the transfer who could change that conversation.
After three seasons buried behind strong Oregon defensive lines, Purchase now has a real opening in Oxford. He logged 4.5 sacks last season and appeared in 15 games for the Ducks, but Ole Miss gives him a chance to carve out a bigger, steadier role. And early in camp, Echoles didn’t hold back on what he thinks Purchase can become.
“Blake Purchase is a guy I honestly feel can lead the SEC in sacks,” Echoles said. “His work ethic, the way he approaches the game and his skill set are amazing.”
Alexander is in a different kind of spotlight, but the pressure is just as real. He’s no longer operating behind De’Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace III and Cayden Lee, and he won’t be sharing targets with tight end Dae’Quan Wright either. That leaves the former four-star recruit as one of the top returning options for Chambliss in a receiver room that’s mostly new faces.
There’s already a connection there, too. Alexander and Chambliss have previous chemistry, and Alexander posted 684 yards and two touchdowns last season after transferring into Wake Forest.
Now the setup is different, and the opportunity is bigger. On top of that, he’s inherited the No. 1 jersey, the same number worn by AJ Brown, Jonathan Mingo and Stribling before him.
For Ole Miss, the first week of camp is already giving a clearer picture of who might be ready to take the next step.
In Other News...
Laremy Tunsil Just Gave Ole Miss Fans A Serious Reason To Worry
Laremy Tunsils arrival in Washington was supposed to stabilize one of the leagues most important spots, but the former Ole Miss star now faces an early setback. The Commanders offensive lineman suffered a torn triceps muscle during training camp, a setback that is significant enough to put his availability for the foreseeable future in doubt and force the team to start looking at other answers on the left side.
For Rebels fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the NFL can turn for one of the programs biggest recent names. Washington had counted on Tunsil to anchor left tackle, but the injury creates a hole the staff will have to manage while he recovers, and the timing makes it especially difficult as the team works through camp and into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Sparked A Brutal Debate With Its Latest Celebration
Ole Miss put its latest postseason keepsake on display this week, unveiling rings for players and coaches to mark the Rebels run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The design leans into the programs branding with the Ole Miss logo and a football-shaped look set with embedded gems, a flashy reminder of a season that carried the Rebels deep into the national conversation.
The reaction, though, was anything but unanimous. Social media quickly turned the celebration into a debate, with some fans embracing the gesture and others mocking the idea of handing out rings for a fourth-place finish. It is the kind of response that follows a program when expectations climb, because even a milestone accomplishment can look different depending on how much hardware people think it should earn. [Read more 🡒]