When Ole Miss Football Resumes: The Tight Ends


                                                                                                                  Kenny Yeboah (Photo: OMA)

In 2019, seniors Octavious Cooley and Jason Pellerin split time at tight end for Ole Miss and it was anticipated both would have a big hand in the offense from a pass-catching perspective.

It did not turn out that way as Offensive Coordinator Rich Rodriguez’ attack went with the ground game with a bevy of quality backs and a running QB who gained 1,023 yards on his own and an offense that ran for over 3,000 yards.

The only major threat via the air was Slot Elijah Moore, who caught 67 passes – 47 more than the next Rebel receiver – for 850 yards.

There just wasn’t much of a plan for the tight ends to get very involved with having the ball in their hands. They were defined more by their blocking ability and obviously did well there because of the ground game success.

Enter Lane Kiffin and new OC Jeff Lebby.

One, Kiffin, had a pair of tight ends who combined for 103 catches in 2019. The other, Lebby, had tight ends who were not an integral part of the passing offense, at least statistically, in 2019.

Certainly, personnel dictates a lot of that. For instance, Evan Engram is going to be used in the passing game more than a Jeremy Liggins. Kiffin obviously had guys capable of getting open and catching the ball. Lebby, on the other hand, leaned more on his running backs and wideouts for passing production.

In 2019, Kiffin’s Florida Atlantic offense threw for 3,956 yards and ran for 2,324 while Lebby’s Central Florida offense was more balanced at 3,347 passing and 3,448 rushing.

Again, both coaches have indicated personnel will decide what they do offensively and at tight end, but it’s fairly obvious if Kiffin has capable receivers at tight end, he likes to use them in the passing game.

Both Kiffin and Lebby have shown a preference to use the tight end very similarly to the way Engram was used at UM – lining

Tight end at Ole Miss is a position of unknowns right now with Cooley and Pellerin both graduating and nobody returning who has played much there.

The candidates look promising, but the experience factor on the SEC level is next to nil.

Grad transfer Kenny Yeboah, who came to Ole Miss at the semester break from Temple, was showing some leadership and maturity in the weight room prior to the shutdown due to the pandemic, but spring was going to be his proving ground in regards to how he could perform on the field on this level.

Yeboah has the size – 6-5, 240 – and age and experience to burst onto the scene in a big way, but his best year at Temple was a 19-catch, 233-yards, 5-TD effort his senior season. Good, but not setting the woods on fire.

Another transfer, Chase Rogers, a junior, has had some foot injury issues but is now healthy and ready to go. He was a starter at TE at ULL before transferring and at 6-4, 240 pounds, he’s got enough size to compete in this league, but he wasn’t a major receiving threat either in his time there.

Casey Kelly, a redshirt freshman and Chad Kelly’s younger brother, is 6-3, 231 and we’ve been told has the “it” factor and good leadership qualities. Last season, when he redshirted, he didn’t get a lot of reps, but the ones he did, it was clear he is a tough youngster who doesn’t mind mixing it up and he has good athletic skills.

Converted linebacker Jonathan Hess is also in that inexperienced category. At 6-6, 231, he has shown a high motor and desire, but his learning curve is behind at this juncture and concerted RB D’Vaughn Pennamon can help situationally.

The Rebs don’t have anyone on the tight end roster who is like Cooley at 260-270 pounds. The candidates Ole Miss has to work with currently are taller, but all are athletic looking.

Spring ball was supposed to sort all of this out and see who would emerge at tight end and how much Kiffin and Lebby were going to opt to use them in the passing game, but that was not to be and is a question mark moving forward.

Best guess? Look for Yeboah, Rogers and Kelly, in that order, to get the bulk of the tight end action and look for moderate involvement of the tight ends in the passing game until they prove they can handle more.

SOURCE: Rounsaville, Chuck. "When Ole Miss Football Resumes: The Tight Ends." OMSpirit - 247Sports.com, 15 April 2020, https://247sports.com/college/ole-miss/Article/When-Ole-Miss-Football-Resumes-The-Tight-Ends-146066785/