Ole Miss Football: A Look at the 2020 Rebels Running Backs

Ole Miss football is just a few weeks away so OHT is looking at the different position groups. This is a good look at the 2020 Rebels running backs.

The 2020 Ole Miss football season is now going to kick-off September 26th. While fans may not be sure what the revised schedule or the Lane Kiffin edition of Ole Miss football may look like, we do know what the Rebels roster looks like. OHT is in the process of reviewing each Rebels position group and has already looked at the Ole Miss quarterbacks. Now we look at the Rebels running backs.

The good news is Ole Miss returns the meat of what was the No.1 rushing offense in the SEC from 2019. Of course, there are variables that need to be addressed. Much of the success the Rebels found on the ground came from freshman quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Add to that the fact we have a new head coach and offensive coordinator so we really have no idea what to expect from the new offense. The Rebels running back roster isn’t thin but playing experience is lacking just a bit. However, that doesn’t negate the fact that the Rebels have some great running backs.

The Experience

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The 2020 Rebels running back roster stands at nine players. Of the nine backs, there are three juniors, two sophomores, and four freshmen. Of the nine there are four Rebels who we have seen in action.

Of course, Ole Miss football fans are very familiar with most of these Rebels but there are some exciting new faces on the 2020 roster.

We will begin with sophomore running back Jerrion Ealy who had an awesome 2019 season. Ealy who saw action in all 12 games, with 4 starts, had 104 carries for 722 yards and 6 TDs.

Ealy’s efforts were enough to see him finish second on the Rebels 2019 rushing list behind Plumlee and gain him national attention.

Ealy finished the season on a number of Freshman All-American lists and begins the 2020 season on both the Doak Walker and Hornung Awards watchlists. Naturally, we expect Ealy to play a huge role in Lane Kiffin’s backfield in 2020.

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Next up is sophomore Snoop Conner who also had a good 2019 season. Conner finished with 81 carries for 512 yards and 5 TDs. Conner would end up fourth on the 2019 rushing list with what we saw as a bruising runner with breakout speed. Expect Conner to be an integral part of a one-two punch that has the ability to break big runs on every play.

More Touches Coming

The next two Rebels running backs OHT looks at are juniors Tylan Knight and Isaiah Woullard. In 2019 both were underutilized in the previous offense and with more touches, both could have put bigger numbers. Knight finished the season seventh on the rushing stats list with 7 carries for 38 yards. Woullard finished eighth in the rushing order with 31 yards on 10 carries.

Both running backs are very athletic and more than capable of providing depth in the Ole Miss backfield. Both were also highly touted coming out of high school but have been used mainly in special teams situations. It would be surprising not to see them used more on offense during the 2020 Ole Miss football season.

The New Rebels Runners

Each new season brings a new roster and new Rebels. The 2020 roster is no different and especially in this position group. Lane Kiffin and Jeff Lebby will have four new running backs to continue to watch thru fall camp and into the season. The question really is, which new face has the breakout freshman season we watched last season? We list based on an experience basis here.

We first look at JUCO transfer Urriah Shepard out of Northwest Community College. Shephard is listed at 6’1 and 205 lbs and is solid as a runner. In 2019 Shephard had 106 carries for 591 yards and 5 TDs at Northwest CC. Shephard is a tough runner who can definitely contribute to the Rebels rushing attack in 2020. Keep your eye on the Houston, Mississippi standout.

Next up we have redshirt freshman Campbell Klein out of Sacred Heart in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Klein is listed at 5’11 and 220 lbs and had a really good high school career which saw him rush for 2,327 yards and 29 TDs. In his senior season, in only eight games, Klein rushed for 1.183 yards and 14 TDs. This could be a rushing gem in the making.

Then there is Zavier Miller out of Kosciusko, Mississippi. Miller is listed at 5’8 and 160 lbs and was

Just One Touch

The last two new Rebels running backs we look at are true freshmen Kentrel Bullock and Henry Parrish, Jr. Bullock, out of Columbia, Mississippi, is listed at 5’10 and 215 lbs and was awesome in high school. In four years Bullock had 4,386 yards and 60 TDs. In his senior season, Bullock racked up 1,966 yards and 33 TDs. Named Mississippi Class 3A Mr. Football in 2019. Bullock could easily have an outstanding freshman season. All it could take is one touch with Kentrel Bullock.

If you believe Bullock looks good on paper, then there is Henry Parrish, Jr. When we talk about numbers, there is really no better statistical player within the freshman running back class. Henry Parrish, Jr was phenomenal at Columbus out of Goulds, Florida. Parrish Jr rushed for 4,653 yards averaging 9.3 yards per carry and 129.3 yards per game. In his 2019 senior season, Parrish Jr had 2,319 yards and 28 TDs. Beware of what this running back can be at Ole Miss.

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Will Ole Miss football produce on the ground in 2020? We can’t be sure. What we do know is the new offense will have weapons in the arsenal. The 2020 Ole Miss football season will be a good one and it hinges on a strong running back roster. For more Ole Miss news, updates, and player and coach profiles please be sure to check back here or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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