OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss scored six touchdowns during Saturday's scrimmage. There were interceptions and several other big plays.

But the biggest cheer of the night came near the end of practice, when freshman cornerback Senquez Golson batted away a pass. The approximate crowd of 2,000 clapped loudly and yelled approval. The fans obviously thought it might help with Golson's decision.

Golson, who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the eighth round of the MLB Amateur Draft back in June, faces a difficult decision before Monday at midnight. The speedy outfielder has already turned down a few Red Sox offers, but Boston has sweetened the deal, adding close to a couple hundred thousand dollars, according to sources.

Perfect Game college baseball editor Kendall Rogers reported Saturday that Golson had agreed to terms with Boston, but the two-sport athlete denied that claim.

"We're still talking about it," Golson said after the scrimmage. "Still some small things that I don't like. I guess you could say (a decision) is going to get worked out. I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen.

"I just know a decision will either be made tonight or early in the morning."

Golson's parents, Anthony and Tarsha, are in Oxford for the weekend, along with a Red Sox representative. According to two sources, Ole Miss was optimistic about the situation late Saturday night but both sources emphasized that things could change at any moment.

According to those same sources, Golson's offer would dole out his signing bonus over four or five years - an option possible because Golson is also a football player. That structure allows Boston to offer a larger bonus than if it was a one-time lump sum.

Negotiations between Boston and Golson had been nearly non-existent for several weeks until these past few days. WEEI in Boston reports that the Red Sox are pessimistic about the ability to sign fifth-round pick Mookie Betts (a Tennessee signee) and are distributing that part of the budget elsewhere - possibly freeing up more money for Golson.

Last season, Arizona signed 14th-round pick Ty Linton to a $1.25 million deal after the two-sport star had already enrolled at North Carolina. Also in 2010, the Dodger signed first-round pick Zach Lee to a $5.25 signing bonus over five years. Lee was practicing football at LSU the day he agreed to those terms.

"I guess you could say still negotiating," Golson said. "It'll be finalized either by tonight or tomorrow. That's all I can say right now.

"I want him here, but I'm selfish. I want him to do what's best for him," Houston Nutt said. "I want him to do what's best for his family and for him to feel good about it. Their family will make the right decision.

"But as you can see, he's going to be a really good football player."

NIX PLEASED WITH DEFENSE: Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix seemed generally pleased with his unit following Saturday's scrimmage.

"I saw some playmakers and I saw some guys get pressure on the quarterback," Nix said, singling out defensive end Kentrell Lockett for an interception on the second drive of the night and defensive end Wayne Dorsey for his emergence as a pass-rush threat. "I thought our D-line got a lot of pressure throughout the day. Sometimes we did that bringing more guys and sometimes we did with a four-man rush. I really liked the way they played."

Nix praised the coaching of new secondary coach Keith Burns, noting that the Rebels' defensive backs got their eyes back on the football Saturday, an area that has drawn criticism in recent seasons.

"We were right there in position, got our hands on it and I think some things are going to go our way if we continue to do those things," Nix said.

Nix said he was pleased with the play of Ole Miss' trio of freshman linebackers -- Keith Lewis, C.J. Johnson and Serderius Bryant.

"I saw some flashes," Nix said. "I think all of those guys at different times made flashes throughout the day and they're going to be able to provide a lot of depth. I think actually a couple of them will have a chance to battle for a starting spot. If they continue to learn the scheme and continue to get better day in and day out, I think they may be pushing, whether it's the first game or some point throughout this season, for a starting role."