College football preseason rankings: Is No. 6 Ole Miss ready to contend for a title?

Welcome to the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff.

In anticipation of the first four-round postseason in college football history, we’re counting down our predicted playoff field as the season approaches. The top five conference champions in the CFP selection committee’s rankings will make the playoff and the rest of the field will be filled out by seven at-large teams. Who will lift the national championship trophy on Jan. 20 in Atlanta?

Previous previews: Nos. 25-13, No. 12 Boise State, No. 11 Utah, No. 10 Florida State, No. 9 Missouri, No. 8 Michigan, No. 7 Notre Dame

Last season in 100 words

The Rebels made a three-win jump in 2023 as their only two losses were at Alabama and at Georgia. The Rebels bounced back from the defeat to the Crimson Tide with a thrilling 55-49 win against LSU before reeling off four more victories until a blowout loss to the Bulldogs.

The season ended on a high note with a 38-25 win over Penn State in the Peach Bowl. The victory — and Ole Miss’ performance against both Alabama and Georgia — solidified the Rebels in the second tier of the SEC behind the two teams that played in the conference title game.

Why Ole Miss can make the playoff

The Rebels bring a ton of talent back from the 2023 team and supplemented it with some key transfer portal additions. Throw in a schedule that includes two of its toughest games of the season at home and you can see why Ole Miss is aiming for the playoff.

RB Quinshon Judkins transferred to Ohio State after the season but he wasn’t nearly as efficient in 2023 as he was in 2022. Judkins averaged 4.3 yards a carry while backup Ulysses Bentley averaged 5.7. Bentley takes over as the lead back as Henry Parrish arrives from Miami and Logan Diggs moves over from LSU.

QB Jaxson Dart took a big step forward a season ago in his second season as the Rebels’ starter. He threw for 3,364 yards and completed 65% of his passes. He also averaged 9.4 yards per completion and tossed six fewer interceptions. Three of the team’s four leading receivers are back too, including WR Tre Harris. He had 54 catches for 985 yards and 8 TDs in 2023.

The offensive line adds transfers Nate Kalepo (Washington) and Diego Pounds (North Carolina) and could be one of the best units in the SEC.

The additions of former Texas A&M DT Walter Nolen and former Florida edge rusher Princely Umanmielen have bolstered the defensive line. Nolen is a former five-star recruit and had five sacks and six tackles for loss in two seasons with the Aggies. DE Jared Ivey is also back after he tied for the team lead in sacks at 5.5 in 2023.

Safeties Trey Washington and John Saunders are both back in 2024 after they were among the team’s top three tacklers and the secondary depth has been bolstered around them with other key transfers like former Oklahoma DB Key Lawrence and former Alabama CB Trey Amos.

Key player

The receiver known as “Juice” comes over from South Carolina to bolster an already deep group of receivers in Oxford. Wells played in just three games in 2023 because of a foot injury and only had three catches.

In 2022, Wells had 68 grabs for 928 yards and six touchdowns. He’s a great complement to Harris and Jordan Watkins (53 catches for 741 yards on 2023) and is another reliable target for Dart. With TE Caden Prieskorn also back — he had 30 catches for 449 yards a season ago — Ole Miss could have the best group of pass catchers in the league.

Biggest game

The Rebels were outmatched and overpowered in Athens a season ago and this year’s game is an opportunity to show just how much the team has improved from 2023.

Could it also be an SEC title game preview? It’s a question that isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Before Georgia comes to town, Ole Miss’ toughest games are a trip to LSU on Oct. 12 and a home game vs. Oklahoma two weeks later. The schedule sets up well enough that Ole Miss could be undefeated before Georgia visits.

(The rest of the rankings will be revealed in the days leading up to the start of the season.)