The No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels and the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide will kick off SEC play at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. With Ole Miss boasting lots of talent, here is a preview of some of the top Rebel players the Crimson Tide will face.
Jaxson Dart, QB
Junior quarterback Jaxson Dart will have his second shot at Alabama since transferring to Ole Miss from USC.
In the young season, the Utah native looks much improved, as he has completed 66% of his passes and has thrown seven touchdowns to one interception. Dart has been Ole Miss’ leading rusher this season, with 231 yards through three games. Last year against the Crimson Tide in Oxford, Dart completed 18 of his 31 pass attempts for 221 yards and one touchdown, adding 51 yards on the ground. After the Rebels’ 43-21 win over Georgia Tech in week three, Dart said he’s excited about the Tuscaloosa trip.
“Bama is Bama,” Dart said. “Last year, it was unfortunate the way we finished the game. I definitely want to respond. … I’m looking forward to it.”
Dual-Threat™️@JaxsonDart pic.twitter.com/7mbQEAgOMZ
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 17, 2023
[/Ole Miss Football]
Quinshon Judkins, RB, and Ulysses Bentley IV, RB
Quinshon Judkins and Ulysses Bentley IV form a formidable running back duo that can give the Crimson Tide defense a handful. Judkins, who earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2022, had 1,744 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns in his freshman season.
Bentley, a former three-star recruit and SMU transfer, is playing in his second season at Ole Miss. Bentley played a crucial role in the Rebels’ 48-23 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 16, with 61 yards and one touchdown.
When asked about the Bryant-Denny Stadium environment, Bentley said he’s locked in on his game.
“I kind of just silence out the noise,” Bentley said. “I’m just ready to get out there and play as hard as I can.”
Tre Harris, WR
Transfer wide receiver Tre Harris has been Dart’s go-to man thus far this season. Harris began his collegiate career at Louisiana Tech, committing to the Bulldogs as a four-star recruit. Leading the Bulldogs in 2022 with 935 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, Harris entered the portal, eventually committing to Ole Miss. Harris has flourished in Oxford, as he is currently ranked the ninth-best WR in the country by On3 entering this weekend. Despite missing last Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech due to a lower body injury, Harris leads Ole Miss in receiving touchdowns with five in two games played.
“Tre Harris is great,” Dart said about Harris’ skill set. “He’s one of those athletes that have a lot of abilities that you can’t teach, and he has done great things.”
Harris’ game-time status is unknown due to the injury, but he is expected to play after practicing throughout the week.
Trey Washington, DB
Junior defensive back Trey Washington earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after a career-high 10 tackles and a forced fumble against Georgia Tech. The former three-star recruit committed to the Rebels in 2020, appearing 26 games through his first two seasons. In the spring, Washington earned the Jeff Hamm Memorial Award, which is given to the Rebels’ most improved defensive player through spring camp. So far this season, Washington leads the Rebels in tackles with 20 this season. With Washington being the top player in the Rebel secondary, he may be a roadblock for the Alabama offense.
Fans can catch how Alabama handles these standouts Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
