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Welcome to the first year of the 12-team college football playoff.
In anticipation of the first four-round postseason in college football history, we’re counting down the playoff-bound teams as the season approaches. The top five conference champions as ranked by the CFP selection committee will make the playoffs, and the rest of the field will consist of seven teams that will make the at-large round. Who will hoist the national championship trophy on Jan. 20 in Atlanta?
Previous previews: issues 25-13, No. 12 Boise State, No. 11 Utah, No. 10 Florida State, No. 9 Missouri, No. 8 Michigan, No. 7 Notre Dame
Last season in 100 words
The Rebels made a three-win jump in 2023, as their only two losses came at Alabama and Georgia. The Rebels bounced back from the loss to the Crimson Tide with a thrilling 55-49 win against LSU before rattling off four more wins until a blowout loss to the Bulldogs.
The season ended on a high note with a 38-25 win over Penn State in the Peach Bowl. The win, and Ole Miss’ performance against Alabama and Georgia, solidified the Rebels in the SEC’s second tier, behind the two teams that played in the conference title game.
Why can Ole Miss make the playoffs?
The Rebels bring back a wealth of talent from the 2023 team and complemented it with some key additions from the transfer portal. Couple that with a schedule that includes two of their toughest games of the season at home, and you can see why Ole Miss is a playoff contender.
Running back Quinshon Judkins transferred to Ohio State after the season but wasn’t as efficient in 2023 as he was in 2022. Judkins averaged 4.3 yards per carry, while backup Ulysses Bentley averaged 5.7. Bentley takes over as the lead back when Henry Parrish arrives from Miami and Logan Diggs moves on from LSU.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart took a big step forward a season ago in his second season as the Rebels’ starter. He threw for 3,364 yards and completed 65% of his passes. He also averaged 9.4 yards per completion and threw six fewer interceptions. Three of the team’s four leading receivers are also back, including WR Tre Harris. He had 54 receptions for 985 yards and 8 TDs in 2023.
The offensive line adds transfers Nate Kalepo (Washington) and Diego Pounds (North Carolina) and could be one of the best units in the SEC.
The additions of former Texas A&M defensive tackle Walter Nolen and former Florida defensive back Princely Umanmielen have bolstered the defensive line. Nolen is a former five-star recruit and had five sacks and six tackles for loss in two seasons with the Aggies. Defensive end Jared Ivey is also back after tying the team lead in sacks with 5.5 in 2023.
Safeties Trey Washington and John Saunders will be back in 2024 after being among the team’s top three tacklers and the secondary depth has been bolstered around them with other key transfers like former Oklahoma DB Key Lawrence and former Alabama CB Trey Amos.
Key player
The receiver known as “Juice” arrives from South Carolina to bolster a receiving corps that already has a large roster in Oxford. Wells played in just three games in 2023 due to a foot injury and had just three receptions.
In 2022, Wells had 68 receptions for 928 yards and six touchdowns. He’s a great complement to Harris and Jordan Watkins (53 catches for 741 yards in 2023) and is another reliable target for Dart. With tight end Caden Prieskorn also back (he had 30 catches for 449 yards last season), Ole Miss might have the best group of pass-catchers in the league.
The biggest game
The Rebels were outclassed and dominated in Athens last season and this year’s game is a chance to show how much the team has improved since 2023.
Could it also be a preview of the SEC title game? It’s a question that’s not out of the realm of possibility. Before Georgia comes to town, Ole Miss’ toughest games are a trip to LSU on Oct. 12 and a home game against Oklahoma two weeks later. The schedule looks good enough that Ole Miss could be undefeated before Georgia visits.
(The rest of the rankings will be revealed in the days leading up to the start of the season.)