OXFORD | Hunter Elliott didn’t know what he could do to help.
The Ole Miss lefty missed all of 2024 and all but two games of 2023 with an elbow injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery approximately 20 months ago. The Rebels, after a national title in which Elliott starred in 2022, have had back-to-back losing seasons and are 17-43 in the SEC over the past two years.
Elliott was around the team daily and struggled alongside them, but he felt hesitant to be vocal as he watched leadership and culture somewhat slip with the losses.
“I didn’t think I was in the position to speak up about stuff,” Elliott said. “I knew I was injured and, what am I going to do with being the outspoken guy to get after them when I don't play. But I’ve learned a lot about leadership, through this fall with (new pitching coach Joel) Mangrum, especially.
“I’ve learned that leadership is about relationships, and you show people you care about them and have their best interest in mind. So, if I had that knowledge in the moment, and built relationships better, I’d be in a fine spot to hold people more accountable than I did, but it wasn’t the case.”
Elliott is now back and set to be a weekend starter for the Rebels when they open the season Valentine’s weekend in Arlington, Texas, against Arizona, Texas and Clemson, respectively. The wait is over for one of the heroes of 2022.
In that 2022 postseason, Elliott threw 25.1 innings and allowed four earned runs in Ole Miss wins over Miami, Southern Miss, Arkansas and Oklahoma. The Rebels won the last seven games he pitched that year. Elliott and Dylan DeLucia combined to start seven of the Rebels’ 10 NCAA Tournament wins.
Elliott suffered a UCL sprain following his five-inning start on opening day in 2023 against Delaware and shut down for eight weeks before returning against LSU on April 22. He threw 49 pitches and gave up five runs in one-plus innings versus the Tigers.
The Tupelo product had surgery shortly after and didn’t touch the mound again until this fall. The timing of the surgery made for a leisurely pace to his return, letting the rehabilitation play out without rush. Elliott would have missed the 2024 season either way. Dr. Keith Meister, who is based out of Arlington with the Rangers, performed an internal brace and full UCL reconstruction.
Elliott is 15-20 pounds heavier, stronger and more equipped because of time, maturity and Mangrum’s influence.
“Coming back from Tommy John, I started to understand what kind of pitcher I am and my strengths a little better,” Elliott said. “I have knowledge and perspective. Instead of fastball middle, OK, let’s do that; I understand where my fastball plays and both my breaking pitches and what I’m trying to accomplish with them.”
Mangrum came to Ole Miss from his position as the Minor League Pitching Coordinator for the Cleveland Guardians. While Elliott was in Arizona for the MLB Draft Scouting Combine, he and DeLucia had dinner, and DeLucia, now in the Guardians organization, praised Mangrum and excited Elliott with the endorsement.
The Dodgers picked Elliott in the 20th round of last summer’s Draft, but he turned down the low six-figure offer.
“It wasn’t the end-all, be-all or deciding factor, but he knows a whole lot, and I wouldn’t be getting better coaching in a pro organization. He got me to trust him.
“He does super individualized stuff. I understand myself as a pitcher and my strengths and weaknesses and some delivery changes. I’ve been good and coachable. When you’re making a change, it won’t be perfect immediately, but it’s shown flashes and when it’s right, it’s the change I need to make.”
Elliott, as a freshman, lived off toughness, command and a wiffle-ball changeup. The changeup is back to its old self, and he's added a slider that works to both sides of the plate to go with his curveball. Elliott’s fastball averaged more than 90 MPH in the fall – more than during the 2022 season. During fall instrasquads, Elliott’s changeup had a whiff rate of more than 60 percent.
He says his “stuff” is the best it’s been at any point of his playing career. Elliott had a 2.70 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 80 innings as a freshman.
Ole Miss added transfers who will play vital roles this season, but Elliott, Riley Maddox and Mason Nichols are all potential weekend starters who remain from the national title roster. It’s their final season, their final chance to right the course for the program.
“We want to leave it better or just as good as when we got here, and if we left it after last year, it wouldn’t have been,” Elliott said.
