Notes: Rodriguez pleased with young offense's progress

OXFORD — Rich Rodriguez said before camp began he’d be ambitious installing the Rebels’ offense, youth and inexperience be damned.

Five days in, Ole Miss’ first-year offensive coordinator is pleased with what he’s seen.

“I was a little nervous about that with so many freshmen going to be in the two-deep,” Rodriguez said. “We’re kind of force feeding it and they’re handling it pretty well.”

Rodriguez is working with redshirt freshman quarterback Matt Corral and a trio of true freshmen behind him competing for the backup job. As for Corral, Rodriguez has continue to be impressed.

“One thing about Matt, he loves to play,” Rodriguez said. “He’s eager to learn. He makes a few mistakes. Sometimes I have to remember he hasn’t played a whole lot either. He’s a redshirt freshman. So there’s some of that experience he’s still got to get and he’s still learning a new system. He gets a little bit better every day and I’m really confident Matt could have a really good year for us.”

Depth and experience are issues up front as well. Alex Givens got a good report following his MRI Tuesday in Jackson, but for now, the Rebels are leaning on a handful of players who haven’t played at the college level yet.

“I think the whole second unit might be true freshmen,” Rodriguez said. “That’s kind of scary when you’re looking at that, but it’s a really good group. (Ole Miss offensive line coach) Jack Bicknell has his work cut out for him because the freshmen, you have to teach them fundamentals and a scheme. When they’re upperclassmen, you usually have your fundamentals down. With a young guy, you have to do both.”

Rodriguez said he’s pleased with the competition he’s seeing at wide receiver and running back. He indicated the Rebels will look to play a lot of players early in the season.

Ole Miss opens the campaign on Aug. 31 at Memphis.

“Make sure Memphis is watching this,” Rodriguez joked. “We’ve got every personnel group there’s ever been and we’re repping them equally.”

Freshman offensive tackle Jeremy Jones is adjusting to the speed of the college game, among other adjustments, early in camp.

He’s not going to have the benefit of a lot of time to do it.

“Coach Bicknell told us when he was recruiting us that he was going to need everyone to step up, so this is something we’ve been kind of working for a while now,” James said. “I think it’s a good thing for our program to get some freshmen going. We’ve just got to step up and do what we’re supposed to do.”

James said the summer work helped prepare him and his fellow freshman linemen for camp.

“It’s just doing steps as many times as you can, going against the defense,” James said. “The more reps you get, the better you’ll get at it.”

Freshman running back Snoop Conner got an early jump on his college career in the spring. It’s paying off in the early stages of fall camp.

“In the spring, I didn’t really know what I was doing,” Conner said. “Now I’m better prepared for it. It got me way ahead coming in early.”

Conner, a 5-foot-10, 216-pounder, said Ole Miss’ offense is based off the running back position. Rodriguez said Scottie Phillips, Isaiah Woullard, D’Vaughn Pennamon, Jerrion Ealy and Conner are going to play for the Rebels at the position.

That depth, the Rebels hope, will wear down opposing defenses over the course of games.

“It’s real physical,” Conner said. “That’s what Rich Rod teaches every day — be a hard edge and be ready. I like to play physical.”

Demarcus Gregory missed his senior season of high school with a torn ACL. Three days into his first season at Ole Miss, the wide receiver from Duncan, South Carolina, tore the meniscus in his other knee.

Finally, Gregory is healthy and ready to play.

“It felt like one thing after another,” Gregory said. “My parents always told me if you don’t give up and keep faith, it’s always good at the end.”

Gregory said he’s 100 percent now, adding he feels stronger and faster.

“I feel the best I’ve felt since my injury,” Gregory said.

It’s just in time for Ole Miss, as the Rebels are looking to replace DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, DeMarcus Lodge and Dawson Knox from a prolific wide receiver group a year ago.

“It’s a competition out there every day,” Gregory said. “You have to bring it every day. (Wide receivers coach Jacob) Peeler is going to bring the best players in so you know you have to compete. I’m up there, just doing all I can working every day earning the coaches’ trust.

“None of us have really proved ourselves yet. We’re hungry to prove ourselves this year. With those big names like DK, A.J., Lodge, those boys are gone now, so it’s on us. We all want to take the ownership and make plays.”