Ole Miss kicks off the 2024 season on Saturday night in Oxford against Furman The Rebels, sixth in the preseason top 25, have their four nonconference games before the eight-game conference slate decides the regular season.

We've justifiably talked plenty during camp about Jaxson Dart, Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen and the core group of potential difference-makers for the Rebels.

But here are five other players I'm interested in seeing when Ole Miss meets the Paladins. The result is predetermined, but there are still individual storylines.

Key Lawrence signed with Tennessee out of high school and played three seasons with Oklahoma, starting 14 games and appearing in 36 with 149 career tackles. Ole Miss seems to be playing him in a safety role that shifts closer to the box, but he's versatile and has also played cornerback in his career. The secondary doesn't feature a known star like most other positions, but the flexibility and length make it a solid group.

[THOUGHT NO. 3: What you'll see from Furman this weekend]

This one is pretty self-explanatory, as the blue chip anchor of Ole Miss' newest high school class gets his first game action. The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder has flashed according to people around preseason camp, and he should be a depth piece who can have some role immediately. More importantly, as Ole Miss turns this roster over to next season, Franklin will be one of the notable names with eligibility remaining.

Suntarine Perkins has added a some weight and will go into the 2024 season just north of 215 pounds. His playing time dwindled as last season went on, as he got caught in the wash a lot of the time at linebacker. According to what we've seen and heard, Ole Miss is playing him almost exclusively in an edge role which should allow him to use his athleticism and be a disrupter. The model for it is LSU's Harold Perkins during his freshman season. With Umanmielen's return not rushed, Perkins should be able to get a lot of early snaps and settle into this disruptor position.

Ayden Williams entered 2023 with huge expectations and seemingly had a good camp -- at least in what we saw -- but it didn't translate to the games. He only had four receptions for 80 yards and played 125 snaps on the year. A year later, he says he's more comfortable, and the game is slower for him. We know Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Caden Prieskorn and Juice Wells, if healthy, are going to get theirs, but there's room for more depth in that group. How Williams is positioned around Cayden Lee and others is an interesting storyline for me.

This probably should be Jayden Willams trying to lock up left tackle or one of the transfers inside, especially with some of the injuries early in the season, but Pettus going from good to elite is a transition that needs to happen. He's coming off an injury, and the scuttlebutt has been that he's well aware it's a contract year. He can be dominant as a run blocker, and he has an NFL body and NFL feet. His health and elevation to another tier are one of Ole Miss' recipes for a playoff berth.