There’s a package for John Rhys Plumlee.

He can really, really run. His speed is shocking to the opponent, even one as talented as No. 2 Alabama.

However, a quarterback can’t rely on his feet alone, certainly not in the Southeastern Conference.

That became obvious pretty quickly in the first half of Ole Miss’ 59-31 loss to Alabama Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Again, this isn’t ripping on Plumlee. With Matt Corral out with a rib injury since the final minutes of the Rebels’ 28-20 loss to California last season, Plumlee gave Ole Miss a tangible spark. He’s charismatic. He’s a born leader. He’s fearless. And again, he can absolutely fly.

Plumlee certainly had his moments Saturday against Alabama, going 10-for-28 passing for 141 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while rushing 25 times for 109 yards and a touchdown.

However, Plumlee’s arm is limited, and once Alabama got a read on his limitations and corralled his feet (pardon the pun), Plumlee was rendered somewhat harmless.

As Alabama’s lead ballooned Saturday, making Plumlee’s running threat less of a worry for Pete Golding and the Crimson Tide defense, Plumlee’s lack of quarterbacking versatility become more and more apparent. Several programs, including Georgia and Auburn, recruited Plumlee as a defensive back or a slot receiver. He wanted the opportunity to play quarterback and Ole Miss gave it to him.

However, Saturday gave everyone a glimpse into Kirby Smart’s and Gus Malzahn’s thinking. Plumlee’s arm is suspect. He doesn’t appear to have a deep-ball threat. He’s got work to do on his accuracy.

In short, he is, at least at this point in his development, a situational quarterback. Without the ability to keep defenses honest with his arm, defenses can tee off on Plumlee, and in this league, for a quarterback of Plumlee’s stature, that’s not sustainable.

Corral didn’t dress Saturday. Ole Miss needs him back on Saturday when Vanderbilt comes calling. Unlike Alabama, which has the quarterback and wide receivers to take advantage of the Rebels’ susceptibility to the deep ball, the Commodores have an offense that is talent-challenged. No one will confuse Riley Neal with Tua Tagovailoa, and Vanderbilt would kill to have one of Alabama’s four elite wide receivers.

This Ole Miss team was never beating this Alabama team. The Rebels were a 38-point underdog at kickoff for a reason. The Rebels not only could beat Vanderbilt Saturday but they should also be a strong favorite to do so.

I suspect Ole Miss will play coy a bit regarding Corral next week. That would force Derek Mason and Co. to prepare for both Corral and Plumlee. I also suspect Corral plays against the Commodores, and I’ll bet he takes the lion’s share of the snaps.

Corral hasn’t been perfect in his first four starts as a collegian. However, he’s been solid most of the time. He’s spread the ball around, utilized more of Ole Miss’ weapons and put together some impressive possessions. Corral has to get more accurate and he needs to improve his decision-making, but those are statements that can be applied to most freshmen quarterbacks.

At the risk of redundancy, there’s a package for Plumlee. He’s actually very good in the red zone, where his quickness and blazing speed make the RPO game difficult to defend.

Further, it would be interesting to see him line up in the slot and test the alignment discipline of opposing defenses. No linebacker and few safeties are going to be able to guard Plumlee one-on-one.

However, Ole Miss’ offensive ceiling is higher with Corral under center than it is with Plumlee taking the majority of the snaps. There shouldn’t be a heated quarterback controversy in Oxford — at least not right now.

SPEAKING OF VANDERBILT, there’s no game on the horizon bigger than the tilt with the Commodores for Ole Miss. After losses to Memphis and California, the Rebels can’t afford a loss to Vanderbilt. Simply put, it would be devastating for whatever is left of the Rebels’ postseason hopes. More pertinent, frankly, a loss to Vanderbilt would be crushing for fan morale.

There’s no lack of effort from Matt Luke and his staff, but fans are desperate for results on the scoreboard. I’m certainly not suggesting a loss could lead to change _ frankly, I’m not convinced there’s anyone in Oxford with the authority to make that kind of a decision at this point _ but I feel safe saying fan buy-in is hanging in the balance next Saturday night.

The second half of Ole Miss’ season will be a challenge for the Rebels even with a win over Vanderbilt. A loss to the Commodores, however, would make it downright ugly.