As the Ole Miss Football season begins, here is a look back at some former players who have come through the program in recent seasons. The Rebels have sent a lot of talent to the NFL during the past decade, and one of the best to emerge at that level is Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace. He’s been in the news lately, holding out in hopes of securing a much deserved contract extension and raise from the Steelers, but the franchise did not budge and he just recently reported to camp. With another big year, Wallace will more than likely receive a nice payday in 2013, whether it is from Pittsburgh or another team.

Wallace’s progress at the NFL level has been rapid, as no one saw him developing into a consistent Pro Bowl receiver this early in his career. In just three years in the league, Wallace has amassed 171 receptions for over 3,200 yards and 24 touchdowns, developing into Ben Roethlisberger’s most dangerous target by just his second season. That’s not to say that Wallace did not enjoy a successful career with the Rebels. His 15 touchdown catches and 1,910 yards receiving still rank fourth and sixth, respectively, in school history, and he also ranks among the top 20 in receptions. Of course he was also a dangerous kick returner as well, as he ranks No. 1 all-time in kick return yards with 1,392, and brought two kicks back for touchdowns as well. While those are certainly good statistics for a college receiver, they did not forecast such instant impact, and as a result he lasted all the way to the third round in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has since played well above his draft position, and is showing off his talent and blazing speed on a more consistent basis than he did at Ole Miss. Fans with Mississippi Rebels tickets can hope that the next Mike Wallace breaks through in the 2012 season.

The Ole Miss Rebels were not very successful on the field a year ago, as then head coach Houston Nutt was fired following a disappointing 2-10 record. New head coach Hugh Freeze is charged with trying to get the Rebels back to a respectable record in the SEC West, which some people consider the most challenging division in college football. One of the main weaknesses of Ole Miss last year was at quarterback, where three players started games for the Rebels. None of the quarterbacks was able to perform consistently enough for the team to be successful, as Ole Miss quarterbacks combined to complete only 49.5 percent of their passes for 1,820 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In fact, the Rebels’ passing attack was ranked 107^th out of 120 teams a season ago.

The battle for the starting quarterback job will continue into the summer, but many feel that it is incoming junior college transfer Bo Wallace’s job to lose. The 6-5, 210 pounder out of East Mississippi CC was the junior college national player of the year in 2011, throwing for 4,604 yards while leading his team to the junior college national championship. He also has previous experience playing under Freeze, as he redshirted under Freeze while a freshman at Arkansas St. While he is unproven at the SEC level, Wallace’s level of production and poise may be hard for the Ole Miss coaches to ignore. One of his main challengers will be Barry Brunetti, a transfer from West Virginia who started two games for the Rebels a season ago. The former star recruit out of Memphis appeared in only four games last year, completing 54.3 percent of his passes for 144 yards, while adding 110 yards on the ground. According to reports, Brunetti performed well in spring practices, and closed the gap with Wallace in the process. The third man in the mix was going to be junior Zach Stoudt, but the four-game starter from 2011 left the team during June. The battle for the No. 3 spot will now come down to junior Robert Ratliff and freshman Maikhail Miller. Interestingly enough, the player who started the most games behind center a year ago, Randall Mackey, was switched over to wide receiver by Freeze and his coaching staff. Mackey rushed for 180 yards a year ago, and Freeze will try and utilize that speed and athleticism on the outside. Mackey will also still be available as an emergency quarterback. But it seems clear that the new coaching staff was not satisfied with his play at quarterback a season ago.

The Rebels seem to need to improve on many areas of the field, but the need for improved play at quarterback would appear to be at the top of the list. It is likely that either Wallace or Brunetti will outplay last season’s pedestrian numbers, as Freeze has gotten good play from his quarterbacks in the past. The level of improvement will remain uncertain until Freeze decides who is going to be lining up behind center.

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