Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin stated that he “hopes” to have wide receivers Jordan Watkins and Juice Wells available when the Rebels open the season against Furman.
“But I don’t know that,” Kiffin replied.
Both have been limited for most of preseason camp. Wells, a transfer from South Carolina, appeared to be in full swing on the first day of preseason, but then switched to a black non-contact jersey for the rest of the media-accessible practice sessions.
Similarly, Watkins has been limited during the preseason, wearing a black jersey and working off to the side during most media coverage times.
Watkins returned for a fifth collegiate season after a 741-yard performance in 2023. Last year, Watkins caught 53 passes and scored three touchdowns while playing primarily in the slot.
Wells missed most of 2023 due to a foot issue. In 2022, he was named second-team All-SEC after catching 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns.
The Rebels played a mock game on Saturday, and Kiffin praised his squad’s success running the ball against the scout team defense, which could come in handy this weekend.
“We got a lot of receiver injuries going into this first game, so the ability to run the ball is going to be very important in this game,” he told ESPN.
If the Rebels need to look further down the depth chart for receiver options when kickoff comes on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+), they have plenty of capable choices. Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee are outstanding sophomores, and earlier this month, Ole Miss signed Micah Davis, an honorable mention All-Mountain West standout from last season.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart also mentioned true freshman Noreel White and experienced walk-on Josh Aka as guys who impressed him when called upon.
“Those guys have had great camps,” Dart said. “Just getting better every day. They’re really impressive to observe and throw the ball to. So, we have a lot of weaponry.
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