The loss of Harrison Wallace III and De'Zhaun Stribling would break most programs, but not Ole Miss, thanks to a revamped WR room. Pete Golding is planning on preparing for the offseason in a way that the locker room doesn't feel the absence of Wallace III and Stribling.
"Obviously those guys did an unbelievable job (and) were super explosive. Strib was one of my favorite guys, just work ethic-wise and how he's wired and the kid's a pro. Wallace was super explosive (too)," Golding explained.
"Nobody knew who Strib was at this point last year and Wallace and all those guys. I mean those guys are gonna have to come in and make an impact. That's why we brought them in."
How Pete Golding plans to replace De'Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III
The Rebels' head coach has already done half the job of leveling the field with legitimate roster depth. Now all that's left is for them to nail what Stribling and Wallace III were best at.
"We wanted to go out number one and make sure that we're still getting guys that can stretch the field vertically," Golding explained.
"I think it's a big piece to that offense, especially from a coordinating standpoint…When you have an elite quarterback back that's really athletic, when you have an All-American running back, there's going to be a lot of attention on those two. If you still have the ability to stretch the field vertically on the outside, it presents a lot of issues. And you're very hesitant, based on matchups, to isolate guys and put them one-on-one."
Winning the field vertically is Stribling's best quality, which also headlines his draft profile. His massive 6'2" frame made it that much easier for him. Emulating that certainly won't be easier said than done, but Golding says he has already been preparing his squad for it, and they have delivered consistently.
"That's a lot that you're replacing, I get it. But that's the one thing this offense has done on a consistent basis. Regardless of who's calling it, when you get really good players, it's a system that's had success."
The buzz is getting real, and all eyes are on L'Damian Washington to get the group firing on all cylinders in time for the season opener.