Pair of former Rebels helping Kentucky prepare for Ole Miss

LEXINGTON – Saturday's top 15 matchup between Kentucky and Ole Miss will be a homecoming for a pair of Wildcats.

Linebacker Jacquez Jones and cornerback Keidron Smith, who spent the majority of their college careers playing for the Rebels, will be making their return to Oxford as Kentucky Wildcats.

"It's gonna be different, but we all have a task at hand going into the stadium. So, you know and that's to go to win. So that's all I'm gonna be worried about," Jones said.

"It is more personal for me. So you know, I'm excited to go back. But I do want to win. So like I said, that's the main focus."

Both Smith and Jones spent time playing for Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin who arrived in Oxford ahead of the 2020 season after spending three seasons as the head coach at Florida Atlantic.

Jones played for Kiffin during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, while Smith spent 2020-21 with Kiffin in Oxford.

The 2018 signees happened to be roommates at Ole Miss and now look to beat their former team together.

"Both really great kids, was awesome to be around them. Really good program guys," Kiffin said Monday.. "It's more like professional sports now where you have free agency, you go play people that used to play on your team, which didn't used to happen very much in college football.

"Glad they're doing well, just like all of our guys that leave and go other places. Wish them the best of luck."

The duo helped Ole Miss win Kiffin's first game as Rebels head coach in 2020. By coincidence, that game came at Kroger Field against their future team as Ole Miss earned a 42-41 overtime win against the Wildcats after kicker Matt Ruffolo missed an extra point attempt that would've tied the game and sent it to a second overtime.

"I remember Ruffolo missing the field goal," Smith joked. "That's my guy, though. It was a good team. It was a hard-fought battle, which I'm looking forward to it being this Saturday. It's crazy because I gave coach Kiffin his first win against an SEC opponent (first overall win), and now I'm playing against him in his first SEC game this year. So I mean, I'm looking forward to the outcome of the game."

As the Kentucky offense prepares to take on a stingy Ole Miss defense, both Jones and Smith have sat down with quarterback Will Levis and offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello to help provide insight.

"Yeah, I mean, I'd be crazy to have them not give me rules and scouting reports and things that they do. And I'd expect them to do the same," Scangarello said. "Bill Belichick's been claiming guys off the practice squad for years and do that every week. That is part of the nature of things."

"Me and Jacquez and the quarterbacks and Keidron were all in the tight ends room last night watching film together, just kind of talking about which guys, kind of their tendencies, what kind of coverages they're doing, Levis added. "Some of the stuff is a little different than when Keidron was there; Jacquez even further behind. He was able to help us a lot just with kind of how their safeties play and what to expect.

"It's cool to have them on the team."

In their defensive meetings, the two have helped stress the difficulties of facing Kiffin's quick-paced offense.

"I think a team is what they are on tape. Maybe for them individually, it may help," UK defensive coordinator Brad White said on the duos familiarity with the Ole Miss offense. "I think, obviously, we're just glad to have them a part of this defense … They've obviously helped stress the urgency of what kind of pace we're about to face, but overall, the tape is to tape."

When asked the keys to slowing down the Rebels' pace, both players preached getting Ole Miss behind the chains and avoiding long drives.

"Just get back to the ball and get the call. You know, it's gonna be super fast," Jones said. "You gotta get them behind the sticks at the beginning ... kind of like Tennessee, once they get the first down, once they get a rolling, it's hard to slow them down. So you really got to get them behind the sticks, get the call and get set up and then play the callers.

"There's really not much to it. You just got to be ready to play."

"Getting off the field. Most definitely," Smith added. "You don't want to be in a long drive situation, no 11-12 play drive because then you start to wear down as a defense. I mean, but for sure. Just having eye discipline staying focused on your keys. That's the main part. Don't get caught lacking with your eyes in the backfield."

While Jones and Smith played at Ole Miss, the Rebels' offense was pass-happy with quarterback Matt Corral and several future NFL receivers. Now with Jaxson Dart at quarterback and a talented running back room, the offense has the fourth-ranked rushing attack and has had far more success on the ground than through the air.

"That's pretty much the difference between last year," Smith said. "I mean, they got a three-headed monster with three running backs this year and they're all the same type of running back mostly. "I mean, so that is kind of different for me seeing that. A lot of run than more pass, but I think we will be ready for it."

One thing neither Jones nor Smith will be able to help their team do is find the visiting locker room at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

"I've actually never been in the visitor's locker room or know how to get there," Smith said. "It's gonna be a different feeling. So I mean, that's one of the things I'm looking forward to."

"No, I've never been in. So I'm not sure where it is either," Jones added. "So I don't. I have no idea where it's at."

SOURCE: Gershon, Aaron. "Pair of former Rebels helping Kentucky prepare for Ole Miss." 247 Sports - CatsPause.com, 28 September 2022, https://247sports.com/college/kentucky/Article/DJ-Wagner-and-Aaron-Bradshaw-expected-to-be-on-VIP-guest-list-at-Kentucky-194316386/