OXFORD | Ben Brown spent the offseason expecting to be back at his guard position for his junior year, but that changed the night before fall practice.

Eli Johnson, the favorite to return as the starting center, opted out of the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns, moving Brown over a spot.

Brown has started every game of his career at right guard, but he played 99 center snaps last season, filling in when necessary as a swing lineman. He is pleased with his experience but admits the full-time position requires more attention to detail.

“There’s a difference but I had experience last year,” Brown said. “It’s not completely new, but I’m getting my feet under me. We haven’t been in pads since the Egg Bowl, so there’s a little adjustment.”

The hiatus between full contact ends Saturday when the Rebels have a padded practice, and Brown believes live reps are all that’s needed for him to gain consistency with his snaps prior to the season opener against Florida on September 26.

He’s getting a lot better, especially from first practice with snaps and it’s improved greatly,” right tackle Royce Newman said about Brown. “He’s getting used to it and you can really tell.”

Twelve percent of Brown’s snaps in 2019 came at center, as he played the position in seven different games. Brown was at center for 41 snaps against Alabama and 26 snaps against Texas A&M in the two highest quantity games at that spot of the season.

Pro Football Focus rated Brown’s Texas A&M performance as his best pass blocking game of the season (88.3) and his pass blocking versus Alabama at 77.4 which was above his season average. PFF graded Brown’s run blocking in those two games as the two worst of his season — a stat likely explained by the need to jump back and forth and handle the additional assignment of the snaps as well as the competition.

Redshirt freshman Carter Colquitt is taking the most second-team snaps at center, and redshirt freshman Bryce Ramsey, who appeared in one game in 2019, is also in play at the position.

It’s Brown’s third different different offense in three seasons, and he’s excited tempo remains a major emphasis under Lane Kiffin, who focuses on small details such as which official to hand the ball to after a play in order to dictate pace most effectively.

“We still have some tempo,” Brown said. “I love playing in tempo. Little more drop back passes here and that’s exciting. I’m loving this offense. We’re going to be productive and it’s exciting and we’re going to put up a lot of points.

“There are little things to utilize the offense and make it click faster.”