After the disappointing loss to Alabama at the weekend, Ole Miss needs to pick themselves up off the floor quickly. The season is not dead, with LSU coming into Oxford, a win would throw the SEC West wide open again. Let’s take a look at some players to watch in week 5 for the Rebels.
Caden Prieskorn, Tight End
With the news this week that Michael Trigg is no longer with the program, the team needs to assess the tight end room. Sophomore Kyirin Heath and 2023 transfer Caden Prieskorn both caught passes against Alabama, with Trigg not taking the field.
The game against Alabama was the first appearance for tight end Caden Prieskorn. The 2023 transfer from Memphis missed the opening 3 weeks due to recovering from knee surgery. He only saw limited snaps, as Kiffin understandably eases him back into action.
In his four seasons with the Memphis Tigers, Prieskorn was used sparingly until a breakout season in 2022. The 6’5” tight end caught 48 passes for 602 receiving yards, while notching 7 touchdowns. Not just a playmaker catching the ball, Prieskorn has skills as a blocker.
With LSU the week 5 opponents for Ole Miss, they will have to block some big guys coming off the edge and down the middle. Prieskorn is capable of just that, adding support to an offensive line that is still trying to put it all together. On top of that, he can be an extra playmaker that the Rebels need, especially with the injuries at receiver.
Again, we might see Prieskorn held back a little by Kiffin to prevent overworking the recovery. However, he will be a player to watch out for Saturday and going forward for Mississippi.
Ladarius Tennison, Linebacker
In the SEC, you face a good amount of quarterbacks that can make plays with their feet. Week 5 against LSU is no different, as Jayden Daniels comes up against the Rebels again. In last season’s game between the teams, Daniels rushed for 121 yards and 3 TDs. Something that can’t happen again if Ole Miss want to win on Saturday.
Last season, Ladarius Tennison was playing at the safety position. However, in 2023 he has a new role at the linebacker position. Tennison adds speed to the position as stated by defensive coordinator Pete Golding in the off-season.
Tennison has had a slow start to the season. Playing a new position, while also recovering from an injury that kept him out most of the off-season. On Saturday against Alabama, he had a solid game, totalling 3 tackles and a sack. Not only that, he acted as the QB spy on snaps, helping restrict another dual-threat QB Jalen Milroe to just 28 yards from 16 carries.
He will need to do the same again on Saturday, with a different style of rushing quarterback. Daniels isn’t a physical runner like Milroe, he is slippery, especially in tight areas. He has a quickness to his movements and a burst that can leave you grabbing at air.
Stopping Daniels in the run game will be a big step towards Ole Miss winning the game. Tennison and the linebacker starters will need to be at their best for this to happen. Definitely a cat and mouse style mini match-up to watch on Saturday.
Tre Harris, Wide Receiver
Ole Miss hasn’t had much luck with injuries when it comes to the receiving game. Transfer WRs Zakhari Franklin and Tre Harris, along with tight end Caden Prieskorn have all had set-backs.
Harris was one of the key transfers in 2023, coming in from Louisiana Tech after an excellent 2022 season. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury early in the week to match-up against Tulane. This was a blow to the offense as there was a buzz around Harris after his week 1 performance. Against the Mercer Bears, he caught 6 passes for 133 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.
The injury put him out of action in week 3 and saw him on a snap count against Alabama on Saturday. Lane Kiffin came out and said this week that Harris was at 70% in that game and hopes he will see more action against LSU.
Fellow wide receivers Jordan Watkins and Dayton Wade have deputized well for the Rebels. However, having a fully fit Harris alongside Franklin would be a huge boost to the offense. It will be interesting to watch how much Harris plays this weekend.