Top 38 Ole Miss Rebels: No. 38 Jordan Wilkins
It’s getting close, Rebel fans, Sept. 5, 2015. That’s the day the Ole Miss Rebels kick off their 2015 campaign against the Skyhawks of UT-Martin. It’s now a mere 38 days away as the cruel, arduous offseason is winding to a close. In honor of Chucky Mullins, we will be counting down the 38 Ole Miss players most critical to the team’s success in 2015.
These rankings do not necessarily signify who the best players are, what the list will be at the end of the year and so forth. Ole Hotty Toddy contributors Nate Mitchell, David Marrin and I each compiled our own lists, which were then averaged together to create the list we will begin unveiling today. Each day there will be a new player revealed until we are finally upon the day we’ve been waiting for all summer. Today’s player is sophomore running back Jordan Wilkins.
Nov 29, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Jordan Wilkins (22) carries the ball as chases Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive back Deontay Evans (17) at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Wilkins (rSo.)
Running Back (Cordova, Tennessee)
A highly-regarded recruit coming out of St. Benedict at Auburndale just outside of Memphis, Wilkins spurred a lot of excitement from Ole Miss fans when he signed in 2013. The consensus four-star recruit comes from a football family as his father Billy played at UT-Martin ironically enough, and his brother Trey is a wide receiver at Vanderbilt.
A knee injury held Wilkins out of most of his senior year of high school and injuries kept him on the sidelines his freshman year in Oxford as he redshirted. Wilkins saw some scattered playing time in 2014 playing behind then-junior Jaylon Walton and the recently-transferred I’Tavius Mathers. He totaled 52 carries for 419 yards (8.1 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
Sep 27, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Jordan Wilkins (22) advances the ball and is met Memphis Tigers defensive lineman Terry Redden (56) during the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi Rebels defeated the Memphis Tigers 24-3. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
It was a very productive first year on the field for the 6’1, 214 Lb. bruiser who shined in particular in two games. In a win over Presbyterian, Wilkins ran the ball 10 times for 171 yards and a touchdown, appearing unstoppable to the FCS opposition. He capped off the regular season with two carries for 42 yards against Mississippi State, and threw a 31-yard touchdown on a dime to receiver Cody Core as the Rebels regained control of the Egg Bowl trophy.
This year, Wilkins will be asked to do a lot more given the departures of Mathers and Mark Dodson to transfers. Walton will begin the season as the lead back and junior college transfer Akeem Judd will try to get the tough yards for the offense at a stout 5’11 and 222 Lbs. While Wilkins may not be as fast as Walton or as powerful as Judd, he brings dimensions of both and has shown examples of big play ability.
Ole Miss oftentimes had trouble running the ball last year but with the addition of some new weapons in the passing game, and another year of development on the offensive line, there figures to be plenty of opportunities for the backs in 2015. Wilkins could very well wind up being the every-down back in Hugh Freeze’s offense and will get plenty of carries this season. It was a nine-win season in 2014 with a minimal running game, if a guy like Wilkins can step up and become a difference-maker, it could be a special season in Oxford this fall.