OXFORD | Ole Miss defensive back Jaylon Jones suffered an ACL tear during the season opener against Texas Tech and will miss the remainder of the 2018 season, a source told RebelGrove.com on Monday, and Matt Luke confirmed during the weekly press gathering.

Jones, a junior cornerback, who is also the Rebels' primary kickoff returner, scored a touchdown on a 94-yard return to put Ole Miss up 14-7 with 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The Rebels (1-0) went on to win, 47-27, but Jones left the game in the first half after pursuing Texas Tech wide receiver Antoine Wesley following a first down catch. Jones had seven solo tackles in limited action.

"That’s a tremendous loss for us in more ways than one," defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff said. "He’s a tremendous asset with leadership and really strong football intelligence. As a coordinator he gives you confidence to go in man coverage. HIs skillset is a pro. He can play at a high level, and we’ll miss him."

An MRI confirmed the extent of the injury on Sunday, and Jones will have surgery on Friday.

Myles Hartsfield, Ken Webster and Javien Hamilton are expected to be the primary rotation at cornerback for the Rebels moving forward. Jalen Julius and newcomer Keidron Smith could also see more snaps at the position.

"We have a lot of people are capable there," head coach Matt Luke said. "Where it hurts us the most is Jaylon had the ability to play safety if necessary. Our flexibility is limited from that standpoint, and that’s the biggest concern."

True freshmen Elijah Moore and Tylan Knight are the likely replacements at kick return. D.K. Buford had a 16-yard return following Jones' injury.

Jones had 34 tackles last season and averaged 25 yards per kick return.