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1. Ole Miss' spring is 60 percent in the books.
Both Chase Parham and I posted observations from the scrimmage on RebelGrove.com Saturday. So, if you need a refresher, go there.
I'm always hesitant to put too much weight on spring. I've had too many coaches and/or staffers downplay the significance of spring practices. At this point in my career, I simply know better.
And that doubles for practices that are open to the public. Coaches are paranoid. They can't control who sits in a stadium and watches, so I suspect the Saturday sessions we have been privy to have been watered down quite a bit.
Through nine practices, however, a few things seem to stick out:
There is no clear QB1, but which can be spun positively or negatively. Up to you. Both Luke Altmyer and Jaxson Dart are talented. They're both more athletic than they're given credit for. They both can make throws. They both have bright futures. They're both going to go through growing pains in 2022. Period.
The schedule sets up to support those pains. The Rebels should get through September unscathed before entertaining a solid Kentucky team in Oxford on Oct. 1. A trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt follows, so 5-1 through the first half is a fairly conservative prediction.
The back half of the schedule -- Auburn, at LSU, at Texas A&M, Alabama, at Arkansas and Mississippi State -- is simply brutal. But with this team, that's how you'd prefer it. Flip that schedule and I'd be concerned for the Rebels. Why?
-- I wonder about offensive line depth. On Saturday, the OL got beat. The second-team OL seemed to get beat even worse. It was one practice. But Ole Miss has to build some depth up front.
-- Jonathan Mingo didn't practice. Neither did Jalen Knox or Michael Trigg. That is significant, but on Saturday, receivers weren't getting open downfield. The offense bogged down. Again, one practice, and I'm reminding myself here that this exact scenario played out last spring as well. It's spring. I doubt Lane Kiffin is losing sleep.
-- I wonder a bit about linebacker play. Astute fans know how impactful Chance Campbell and Mark Robinson were last season. They know how things fell off when one of those guys wasn't on the field. I suspect new guys are swimming a bit, and I suspect Austin Keys' return will help things quite a bit, but it's something I'm watching when preseason camp rolls around in August.
But again, it's spring. No one wins anything in April, and unless you suffer debilitating injuries, no one loses anything in April either. The team seems to have a good vibe. They do their work. The coaches are engaged. The effort appears to be there.
I have now written more about spring football than I intended to.
2. One thing that comes up repeatedly in conversations with sources regarding Ole Miss recruiting is the impact coordinator of recruiting strategy Kelvin Bolden is having on the Rebels' efforts.
I've not yet met Bolden, but everyone speaks of his energy. Specifically, sources say it's infectious. Throw in some of the new staff additions -- assistants who are young and hungry and can relate to kids well -- and it's no surprise that Ole Miss seems poised to have success in this recruiting season.
I know some fans get hung up on commitments, and that's understandable; for the longest time, that's how recruiting success was judged. However, this staff is being particularly picky as it pertains to the 2023 class. They're not going to load up on commitments only to have to find room for desired transfer portal targets later on.
Rather, this staff's strategy appears to be selectivity now while building relationships with 2024 and 2025 prospects, all the while being perfectly willing to build half a class or more with players in the transfer portal.
3. It's April, and that means quarterback recruiting is about to heat up.
And that conversation can't occur without first mentioning Arch Manning. The grandson of former Ole Miss legend Archie Manning took a surprise visit of sorts to Virginia over the weekend. His mother, Ellen, went to Virginia, and his sister, May, plays volleyball for the Cavaliers.
I continue to hear Ole Miss is running third or fourth for Manning, as most believe Texas, Georgia and Alabama are in a group of their own in the quest for the nation's top-ranked player.
Ole Miss appeared to be in better shape for Birmingham, Ala., four-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina before Vizzina announced on Sunday that he'll publicly commit to his college of choice on Tuesday. The guess here is Clemson, which shouldn't surprise anyone given Dabo Swinney's connections to Birmingham.
Then there's Nashville, Tenn., four-star quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed visited Ole Miss earlier this spring but hasn't commented on that visit at all. Earlier last week, he took an unofficial visit to Arkansas, posted a tweet announcing he was in Fayetteville and subsequently deleted it. No big deal, but no one seems to know what he's thinking at this point.
Pittsburgh (Calif.) High School four-star Jaden Rashada is very high on Ole Miss, but Miami feels great about him following a visit to Coral Gables and Arkansas has him coming to Fayetteville next weekend. Rashada told me recently he would return to Oxford at some point in the summer or fall, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn the Rebels are trying to push that timetable up a bit.
At the end of the day, it's a quandary of sorts, I suppose, for the Rebels. Wait on Manning, who is very much considering Ole Miss, or make an aggressive push for another quarterback, knowing a commitment basically marks the end of the Rebels' pursuit of the talented New Orleans native?
Of course, the rest of that equation is not palatable for Ole Miss. What if, for example, you wait for Manning, and in the process lose guys like Reed, Rashada and Vizzina to other programs?
It's not a big deal if Manning, who has been taking visits this spring to Georgia, Alabama and Texas, makes a decision soon. In fact, that's Ole Miss' best scenario, whether Manning picks the Rebels or not. If he does, obviously, great. But if he doesn't, and that goes public, there's no outcry or second-guessing when Ole Miss pushes for another signal-caller's commitment.
However, if Manning decides to wait until sometime this fall, which is most certainly his prerogative, Ole Miss has a decision to make.
4. Ole Miss was swept at home over the weekend by Alabama.
Chase Parham wrote about that here, so if you'd like to understand why what is happening is happening, I suggest you read it.
Here's what I see watching from afar:
Ole Miss doesn't pitch well enough to remain in the middle of the pack in the Southeastern Conference. Even the average teams have an arm or two they can lean on each weekend. Ole Miss doesn't.
That's leading to an offense that tries to do too much. Yes, Ole Miss hits home runs. Jacob Gonzalez is a terrific player and Tim Elko swings a powerful bat. However, there are frequently times when the Rebels need to put a ball in play and they simply don't or can't.
Defensively, Ole Miss is average, and that might be kind. Again, I watch the rest of the league a decent amount, and through four weekends, different teams' strengths and weaknesses get exposed. Ole Miss has more weaknesses than it does strengths, regardless of what ranking D1 Baseball or Baseball America or Collegiate Baseball Insiders Incorporated or whoever assigns them.
There's an elephant in the room, of course -- the future of Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco. I said it last summer before Bianco interviewed for the LSU job, and I was right. A coach can't interview for a job in the same division of the same conference, not get it and return. It's more complicated than that, as Ole Miss knew of the interview, blessed the interview and -- deep down, if we're all just being honest here -- wanted Bianco to take the LSU gig. But here we are.
The Rebels hit the road this weekend before returning in two weeks for the Mississippi State series. That weekend also includes the Grove Bowl and the Double Decker Festival, so Swayze will likely be packed no matter what. But barring a remarkable turnaround, May might be sleepy at Swayze. That, combined with the very real possibility this team doesn't make the NCAA Tournament, almost certainly would result in change.
It's all weird and complicated and frankly, a lot of it is really hypocritical, but unless the Rebels can get pretty hot against South Carolina, Mississippi State and Arkansas here in the next three weeks (that's doable, by the way), it's where we appear to be headed.
5. Here's my weekly ranking of the SEC baseball programs:
1. Tennessee -- The Vols are 12-0, head and shoulders above the rest of the league.
2. Georgia -- Why? The Bulldogs can pitch early in weekends and out-hit you on Sunday.
3. Arkansas -- The Razorbacks are fine, even after losing a series at Florida. But that's as much as you can say about them. They're fine.
4. LSU -- This might be inflated, but the Tigers can really hit.
5. Vanderbilt -- I know there are teams with better records, but I'm betting on talent here.
6. Florida -- The Gators got walloped by Arkansas on Thursday night and then responded big-time on Friday and Saturday. They're very talented and I'm betting they go on a run here soon.
7. Alabama -- The Tide is 7-5. They're nothing special, but they play a determined, gritty style of baseball and it paid off in Oxford.
8. Auburn -- The Tigers are 7-5 in the league. I'm not sure how, really, but they are. Credit to Butch Thompson. He's a hell of a coach.
9. Texas A&M -- The Aggies aren't particularly great in any facet, but they're plucky and gritty and all of those adjectives.
10. Ole Miss -- The Rebels simply must win in Columbia this weekend to keep much hope alive, and they're more than capable.
11. Mississippi State -- The Bulldogs were an inch away from getting swept at Fayetteville. They responded by getting swept at LSU. That national title must feel decades old.
12. Kentucky -- The Wildcats just don't have enough to win SEC series.
13. South Carolina -- Here's the flip side for Ole Miss. What once appeared to be a daunting opponent headed to Columbia now looks like a chance to get well for the Gamecocks. Ole Miss needs to jump on South Carolina early and eliminate that thought.
14. Missouri -- Credit to the Tigers. They played Tennessee as well as anyone else has.
6. The NBA regular season ended on Sunday night.
I don't have a vote, obviously, but if I did, my postseason ballot would look like this:
MVP -- Nikola Jokic, Denver
Defensive Player of the Year: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee
Rookie of the Year: Evan Mobley, Cleveland
Coach of the Year: Monty Williams, Phoenix
Most Improved Player: Ja Morant, Memphis
Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro, Miami
7. The NBA postseason begins this week. Here are my sure-to-go-terribly wrong predictions for how the NBA playoffs will play out.
Western Conference:
7/8 Play-in game: Timberwolves over Clippers
9/10 Play-in game: Pelicans over Spurs
Play-in game: Clippers over Pelicans
First Round:
Suns over Clippers in 5
Mavericks over Jazz in 6
Warriors over Nuggets in 6
Grizzlies over Timberwolves in 6
Conference semifinals:
Suns over Mavericks in 6
Warriors over Grizzlies in 7
Conference finals:
Warriors over Suns in 7
Eastern Conference:
7/8 Play-in game: Nets over Cavaliers
9/10 Play-in game: Hawks over Hornets
Play-in game: Hawks over Cavaliers
First Round:
Heat over Hawks in 5
Sixers over Raptors in 7
Bucks over Bulls in 5
Celtics over Nets in 7
Conference semifinals:
Heat over Sixers in 7
Bucks over Celtics in 7
Conference finals:
Bucks over Heat in 7
NBA Finals:
Warriors over Bucks in 7
8. Here's some miscellany from the last few days, including the start of the Major League Baseball season and The Masters.
For me, there's something calming about the start of the baseball season. I know the team I cheer for, the Chicago Cubs, aren't going to do anything special this year, but I find myself falling into the same routines once the games begin. I turn on the games in the background, listen to radio broadcasts as I walk my dogs or run errands and generally find my mood lifted.
My son, Carson, is excited about the Cubs' free agent additions -- pitcher Marcus Stroman and Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki. The same boy who had broken the news to me rather gently that he wasn't particularly interested in a boys baseball trip this summer suddenly is hinting about maybe wanting to go see the Cubs at some point in July. He got the bug honestly.
ESPN put a live microphone on Reds first baseman Joey Votto on Opening Day against the World Champion Braves. It was exceptional television, something I hope becomes a constant during the season. It's a great way to grow the game with the younger population.
Scottie Scheffler won The Masters Sunday. Before this weekend, I'd never heard of him. I watched a lot of the tournament because I wanted to see Tiger Woods, who played competitive golf at the very highest level some 14 months after horrible leg injuries that resulted from a car accident.
The more I heard about Scheffler, the more I found myself cheering for him. Wright Thompson wrote a remarkably good piece about Scheffler for ESPN. I've linked it here. The 25-year-old Texan will now have the eyes of the golf world upon him moving forward, and that pressure can be overwhelming. But over the weekend, as he ran away with the tournament, it certainly looked like the sport had a new star emerge.
By the way, the 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Manchester City was as good of a professional sports event as you'll ever watch. Few games live up to the hype, but that one did. It was absolutely intense as both teams pushed the other to the brink of what would've been a devastating loss.
Both teams will face each other again next Saturday in the FA Cup semifinal.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 130 — Braised Pork Belly.
*Ok, so I don’t know where I got that last’s week TOTP was 1 week before Mother’s Day. Anyway, on to Easter Sunday.
Traditionally in Europe, you would be served lamb for this occasion yet, the taste of lamb can be overpowering and slightly difficult to find back home. So let’s get a pork belly in for a substitution. It is very good.
Tidbit #1: Braising is a simple concept that essentially means searing the meat —> pouring liquid into the pan or pot —> covering the pan/pot and continuing the cooking process. So think pot roast if, of course, you sear all sides first before everything else.
Tidbit #2: You will need a sharp knife to score the top of the pork belly into a criss-cross pattern.
Tidbit #3: Lastly, my grandmother believed in blanching pork ribs and belly before cooking. So to her, place the pork belly in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and pat dry before we get to the cooking process.
Things you will need:
4 People
Preparation time -10 Minutes
Cook time - 2 Hours
A glass of Dry Reisling
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and Chef’s knife
Small mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Pot and lid
Oven
Ingredients needed:
1 Pork Belly 13 x 9 inches
1 Fennel bulb chopped
1 Onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 Bundle thyme
Beef Stock
2 Oranges in halves
Salt and pepper
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Blanch your piece of pork belly and then pat dry after. Score the top into a criss-cross pattern. Set to the side.
Step 2: Set your oven to 325°F and then place your pot on top of the stove over medium-high heat.
Step 2.1: Salt and pepper the pork belly and then sear all sides of the pork belly in the pot. Take out and add the fennel, onions, garlic, thyme, and oranges. Cook for 5 minutes and then place the pork belly back in the pot criss-cross side up.
Step 2.2: Pour in the beef stock until it reaches halfway up the pork belly. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it boils, add the lid and place it in the oven to cook for 1.5 hours or until tender.
Final
Step 3: Take the pork belly from the pot carefully and let rest. You can strain the liquid from the pot and then cook down if you would like to make a sauce. It is quite wonderful, so I would recommend it.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting, baseball and basketball recruiting this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
Remembering Dwayne Haskins, a transformative Ohio State quarterback with an enduring smile
‘F them picks’: How the Rams ushered in the NFL’s all-in offseason
The colorful world of Joel Embiid: Trolling, bluffing and sometimes downright annihilating
UGASports - TikTok challenge gone awry gets Georgia Bulldog arrested - uga.rivals.com
Coaches' nightmare recruiting visits revealed: Jungle cats, cowboys, 'Shaquille O'Neal of pit bulls'
At Duke, Jon Scheyer knows he can't be Coach K - Sports Illustrated
Bengals 7-round NFL mock draft: O-line still in play early despite free-agent signings
