chris paul jr., john saunders jr. and jeremy james He met with the media on Thursday and offered his thoughts on spring practice.
Above all: Pooh
If you're an Ole Miss fan, you may already be familiar with one of the new faces on the Rebels' defensive front. chris paul jr., after watching him rack up triple-digit tackles over the past two seasons at the University of Arkansas elsewhere in the SEC. Now that he's donning the red and blue uniform, Rebel fans can get to know the linebacker known as “Poo.”
“When I was younger and playing on a travel ball team, I caught an interception and won the game. My mom made me wear these jackets with my face on them. And my head… It had my nickname underneath the 3D cutout.'' “About that. You know what happens to mothers. When their son scores, they start going crazy. So she jumps over the fence and holds up a sign. , I started jumping over everyone who could have known who I was,” Paul said. “As I got older, that started to grow stronger on me. It's my identity now.”
Pugh recorded 62 total tackles, including eight TFLs and four sacks, earning Freshman All-SEC and Second Team Freshman All-American honors with the Razorbacks in 2022. He returned after another strong season last year, recording 74 tackles in 11 games, including 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. However, after starting his career well in Fayetteville, Pugh found himself at a crossroads in the offseason.
“I just sat down with my parents. I'm a very religious person, so I like to talk to God about everything I do in my life. I was sitting around doing nothing, but God told me… I said it was time for a change.'' “I talked to my parents and decided to take the plunge.When I entered the portal, coaches were calling me left and right.But Coach Golding and Coach Kiffin… Once I started talking to him, I realized that Ole Miss was the most important place for me. ”
received guidance
Many new defensive players praise the coordinator. pete golding Already during a short stay in Oxford. john saunders jr. Now in his second year under Golding's tutelage, he is excited to see how he and his other teammates continue to progress.
“He's really great,” Sanders said. “He knows every level of the defense. It's great to be around him. He can coach me and the next minute he's coaching the D-tackles. He's very He's versatile. He knows where everyone is supposed to be. He coaches my technique well,” and really helps me become a better player every day. ”
Sanders and his fellow defensive backs also have a new leader, along with Golding and new secondary coach and co-DC Brian Brown. Brown was a four-year letterwinner for the Rebels from 2003 to 2006 and has already brought a lot to the secondary in his short time on the coaching staff.
“I really like Coach Brown. He's been a great addition to our team,” said Coach Sanders. “He knows a lot. He knows Oxford really well. He's a really good guy when it comes to culture. He's trying to bring us all together. We've had some We held a DB event and got to know each other and get to know him and his family.'' I'm so glad he was there. ”
Competition in the trenches
lane kiffin We've said many times already that the Rebels will look a lot different in the trenches in 2024. All eyes are on the newcomers to the Ole Miss defense. jeremy james And the rest of the Rebels' O-linemen have enjoyed competing against them so far in spring ball.
“It's a lot of fun. They're really, really talented,” James said. “It allows us to go to work every day. It's been a lot of fun. They're really good players.”
While there will be a lot of competition between the offense and defense, there will also be competition over who plays what role within each group. Kiffin and his staff move players around to different locations, creating a fun and competitive atmosphere that's perfect for a new team looking to come together.
“We have a lot of new faces and a lot of old faces. We're just coming together and putting in the work and trying to get better,” James said. “Right now, everyone is playing all types of positions and trying to feel where they're comfortable. I think we're going to be a really dominant group this year.”
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