11 Ole Miss football newcomers who may have to play immediately for Lane Kiffin

OXFORD — For the first time in five years, depth shouldn't be a concern for Ole Miss football.

Ole Miss returns 17 of 22 regular starters from last season and brings in a talented crop of freshmen and transfers that ranked as the 17th-best recruiting class nationally in the 247 Sports composite rankings. 

With so much talent returning, there might not be many places for newcomers to carve out roles. But in the areas of need, Ole Miss could easily turn to new faces to fix issues from last year or create rotation where it wasn't able to in the past under the constraints of probation. Below is an alphabetical list of the newcomers who might be able to shine through and find playing time early.

WR Bralon Brown
Bralon Brown is a four-star wide receiver from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, the same school that produced 2020 Ole Miss All-America receiver Elijah Moore. Brown didn't enroll in the spring, meaning he'll have a short period to climb the depth chart in the fall, but his 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame makes him an intriguing option to get early reps.

DB Markevious Brown
Markevious Brown impressed in the spring, playing cornerback with the second team and snagging a few interceptions in open scrimmages. The IMG Academy product should figure into the cornerback rotation, playing either on the outside or inside against slot receivers.

LB Chance Campbell
Chance Campbell led Maryland in tackles last year, logging 42 in four games. With Jacquez Jones transferring to Kentucky, expect Campbell to play early alongside returning linebackers Lakia Henry and MoMo Sanogo.

DL Jamond Gordon
As Ole Miss attempts to revamp its defensive front, expect former Meridian and East Mississippi standout Jamond Gordon to be a key piece. Gordon was the No. 2-rated defensive lineman in the 247 Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2021.

DL Isaiah Iton
If Gordon was No. 2, that's only because Isaiah Iton was No. 1. The 6-4, 295-pound interior lineman enrolled in the spring and alongside Gordon proved he has a chance to contribute early and compete with returning starters Quentin Bivens, Hal Northern and Tariqious Tisdale.

DB Tysheem Johnson
No freshman earned more praise in the spring from coaches or teammates than Tysheem Johnson. A four-star defensive back from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Johnson logged an interception in the Grove Bowl and generated enough hype that it might be disappointing if Johnson doesn't see significant reps Week 1.

DL Tywone Malone
At 6-4 and 315 pounds, Tywone Malone was Ole Miss' highest-rated recruit for the Class of 2021. The New Jersey native didn't enroll with Ole Miss in time to participate in spring practices, so his learning curve might be longer. But the two-sport athlete (he also intends to play baseball at Ole Miss) might be too large and athletic to not use situationally early on.

WR Jahcour Pearson
Jahcour Pearson put up big numbers at Western Kentucky in 2019, catching 76 passes for 804 yards and seven touchdowns. He only played two games in 2020 and wasn't able to practice much with Ole Miss in the spring because of injuries. But his track record and slippery 5-9, 180-pound frame will draw natural comparisons to Moore as a slot receiving option in Lane Kiffin's offense.

DB Deantre Prince
It's kind of cheating to call Deantre Prince a newcomer. He made 25 tackles with two interceptions and two pass breakups in 2019 for the Rebels, then left for Northeast Mississippi Community College. Now he's back with the Rebels, he logged an interception in the Grove Bowl and he figures to pick up where he left off in 2019.

DB Jake Springer
Jake Springer might've been Navy's best defensive player in 2019, logging 69 tackles with 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks, seven hurries, two pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Now he joins a loaded Ole Miss safety group already including A.J. Finley and Otis Reese.

C Orlando Umana
Ole Miss added Orlando Umana from the transfer portal over the summer and expects him to slot in as a starting center, bumping Ben Brown back to guard. Umana played in 40 games and started 26 at Utah. He earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors in 2019.

SOURCE: Suss, Nick.  "11 Ole Miss football newcomers who may have to play immediately for Lane Kiffin." Mississippi Clarion Ledger, 5 August 2021, https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2021/08/05/ole-miss-football-lane-kiffin-newcomers-freshmen-transfers-2021/5457592001/

Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.