OXFORD — Otis Reese had to squeeze an entire season into three games last fall.

When the NCAA finally cleared him, making him eligible to play at Ole Miss, the Rebels’ safety played with unchecked joy and tangible glee.

That enthusiasm, program insiders said, proved to be infectious. And while the Rebels’ defense was still porous down the stretch in 2020, it was better.

“Just to be out there and build chemistry with the guys — I believe defense is all about chemistry and we feed off each other — I got to see how some guys react in game time and how people react to things,” Reese said.

A season later, Reese is eligible from the jump, but that energy and vigor still appears to be limitless.

“I’m never satisfied with anything I do,” Reese said. “Coach (Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Chris) Partridge will tell you that. I have things I’d like to work on but I like to think I have no weaknesses across the board. Everything is on a level playing field for me.”

It’s just two practices into fall camp and Ole Miss doesn’t open its season for another four weeks, but Reese said there’s a different energy and vibe on the Rebels’ defense this preseason.

“Guys have bonded and they’re really ready to go to work for each other,” Reese said. “We’re clicking, man. The defense is really coming together.”

Reese said the reckless abandon with which he plays is just something that comes naturally. “It’s the love of the game,” Reese said. “It’s an alpha-male game. I just bring guys up and be a leader for the younger guys and whoever needs me. I just go out and be an alpha male. The energy and the swagger, it all comes from the love of the game.”

With so many young players on the Rebels’ defense, particularly in the secondary, Reese knows he likely needs to assume a leadership role this fall.

“I feel it,” Reese said. “I feel it. It’s something I don’t get carried away with or weigh it on my back. It’s just something I just know. The standard is the standard.”

Reese, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Leesburg, Ga., native, finished the season with 24 tackles and one interception last season. He can play free safety, closer to the line of scrimmage or in coverage on an island. Given the Rebels’ newfound depth on the back end of the defense, Reese could be asked to play a lot of roles this season.

That’s fine with him.

“I’m battle-tested,” Reese said. “I’m ready. I just like to play ball.”