Dexter Invades Indy

Dexter McCluster was available to the media Saturday at the NFL Combine, and once again, all eyes were on No. 22.

USA Today: Ole Miss' McCluster ready to make tacklers miss on Sundays

Atlanta Journal-Constituion: Ole Miss flash Dexter McCluster

Pro Football Weekly: McCluster thankful for predecessors like Bush, Harvin

Chronicle-Telegram: Dexter McCluster lights up room and field

The News Tribune: A few minutes with Ole Miss RB McCluster

Sacramento Bee: Willis dubbed McCluster "Baby Hester"

Oklahoman: McCluster says he'll play anywhere

WEEI: Patriots sent McCluster to drawing board

Good Counsel

With a brother and a roommate that are both former first-round picks, John Jerry has no shortage of quality advice entering this year's NFL Draft. Baby J talked to reporters this week about their influence.

National Football Post: Rebels' Jerry still learning from Michael Oher

Jevan's Pre-Draft Blog

Jevan Snead made the headlines yesterday by announcing he is going to throw this weekend at the NFL Combine. I understand how this whole Combine works, but does anyone else find it odd that its newsworthy that a quarterback, competing in quarterback drills, is actually going to throw a football? Well, Jevan missed one of his favorites -- the Randy Rogers Band -- perform in Oxford last night, so hopefully he'll throw it well. Check out a recent Snead blog for the NFL Players Assocation website.

NFLPlayers.com: Draft Diary By Jevan Snead

Shay Dangerfield

The wide receivers will be on display at the NFL Combine on Sunday, and Shay Hodge will have a chance to show the scouts what we've known for four years -- he's one of the best receivers in the SEC. Despite leading the conference in almost every pass-catching category last year, Shay continues to be underrated, and this morning, a Baltimore Ravens fan site wrote about the "Rodney Dangerfield" of the 2010 WR draft class.

Ravens24x7.com: Ole Miss' Shay Hodge doesn't get the respect he feels he deserves

McCluster In Fort Worth Star Telegram

The comparisons continue for Dexter McCluster. Undersized offensive weapons are the trend in the NFL these days, and Dex is the perfect example of that in this year's draft. The Fort Worth newspaper weighed in on the topic yesterday.

Star-Telegram: Speedy McCluster on verge of NFL despite small stature

Seven Rebels Ready For Combine

A group of Rebels are in Indianapolis (or at least en route) and ready to put their talents on display at the NFL Combine. We had reported earlier about the earlier invitations for Marshay Green, Greg Hardy, Shay Hodge, John Jerry, Kendrick Lewis and Dexter McCluster, and Jevan Snead has since joined to round out the crew of seven. Jerry will be the first to go through physicals and interviews on Wednesday, and he will be the first to go through the drills on Saturday. Hodge, McCluster and Snead will have workouts on Sunday, Hardy on Monday and Green and Lewis Tuesday. The NFL Network will have full coverage of the Combine.

Palmer Now A Lion

If you missed it over the weekend, Ashlee Palmer was picked up by the Detroit Lions. The former Rebel linebacker signed with the Buffalo Bills last year as an undrafted free agent. He played in 14 games as a rookie, with two starts, and ranked second on the team in special teams tackles with 13.

Detroit Free Press: Lions claim LB Ashlee Palmer off waivers from Bills

Spring Football Schedule

The following is the tentative practice schedule for spring football drills. We will have daily practice reports and video highlights once again this year on OleMissSports.com.

March 27 - Practice 1 - Non-Contact
March 28 - Practice 2 - Non-Contact
March 29 - Practice 3 - Contact
March 30 - Practice 4 - Contact
April 1 - Practice 5 - Contact
April 2 - Practice 6 - Contact
April 5 - Practice 7 - Contact
April 6 - Practice 8 - Contact
April 8 - Practice 9 - Contact
April 9 - Practice 10 - Contact
April 10 - Practice 11 - Contact
April 12 - Practice 12 - Contact
April 15 - Practice 13 - Contact
April 16 - Practice 14 - Non-Contact/Walk-Thru
April 17 - Grove Bowl (Time TBA)

BPF Floor Installation

As you arrive on campus today for the various games, I recommend entering via the Coliseum Drive exit so you can get a closer look at our magnificent new Basketball Practice Facility. While the interior decorating is continuing, I know our coaches and players are already enjoying the various luxuries that the $13 million, 51,000-square-foot structure has to offer. Here is a look at how the floor installation took place.

Dex, Shay Among SEC's Best Of 09

Our good friend Chris Low with ESPN.com is running through his ranking of the SEC's best players of 2009, and no surpise, Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge are among the top 30. Shay was listed at No. 23, and yesterday, Dex appeared in the No. 3 slot. Here is what Low had to say about our all-purpose phenom in his blog.

ESPN.com: The SEC's 30 best players

More Dex

With the exception of Tim Tebow, is there another player in this year's NFL Draft that is projected to go outside of the first round (by the ESPN experts) and still gets as much media attention as Dexter McCluster? But then again, he is a human highlight reel (no offense to Dominique Wilkins). Here's another article on Dex's pro prospects.

Yahoo Combine Watch List: Where does Dexter McCluster fit in?

Rebels Train With Olympian

As the world focuses on Vancouver and the XXI Olympic Winter Games, an Ole Miss trio of NFL hopefuls are training with a 4-time Gold medalist, albeit from the Summer Games. Dexter McCluster, Greg Hardy and Patrick Trahan are currently working out at the Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney, Texas as part of its NFL Combine/Pro Day Preparatory Camp. Last year, the camp played host to former Rebels Michael Oher, Peria Jerry and Mike Wallace, and it certainly helped their draft stock. Yesterday, Dexter took a break from workouts to speak with the local newspapers.

Dallas Morning News: Catching up with Ole Miss' Dexter McCluster

Parnell Makes Active Roster

If you're like me, during the New Orleans Saints run to the Super Bowl crown, you were keeping a close eye on the sidelines for a 6-foot-8, long-haired guy in sweats. It was hard to miss Jermey Parnell, considering he was usually the first person sprinting onto the field for the postgame celebration. The former basketball/football Rebel was a member of the practice squad in 2009-10, which on a Super Bowl champion team probably still earns you a nice paycheck and a fancy ring. Parnell may be more than a cheerleader on gamedays for the Saints during their title defense next season, as the defensive tackle was among a group of players promoted to the active roster on Friday.

NewOrleansSaints.com: Saints Sign Four Players to Roster

Rare Footage

Andy Harper, Micah Ginn and our friends at Media & Documentary Projects on campus do a great job of not only producing new pieces but also restoring classic footage. The following was provided by Alyce Smith Krouse, wife of our own David Krouse with Ole Miss Sports Properties, and was shot by her grandfather, Armour Bowen. It offers a rare look at local legend “Blind” Jim Ivy as well as All-Americans Charlie Conerly (#42) and Barney Poole (#89) and the 1947 SEC Champion Rebels' 52-0 win over Chattanooga. Ginn, who produced the Chucky Mullins documentary "Undefeated", is currently gathering information and materials for a project on "Blind" Jim. Call him at 662-915-3475 if you can help.

Blind Jim at an Ole Miss football game, 1947 from UM Media Documentary Projects on Vimeo.

Looking Back At The Comeback

When was the last time Ole Miss had a comeback like that?
That was the big question after the Rebels rallied from 20 down at halftime (40-20) and 23 down with 19 minutes left (43-20) to knock off Alabama 74-67 on Saturday. Joey Jones in our office hammered away on the record books this week, and after extensive research, we're unable to determine if the 23-point comeback is the biggest ever. However, it is believed to be the largest comeback from a halftime deficit in school history, based on records dating back to the 1949-50 season. The last time Ole Miss trailed by 20 at any point in a game and won was the 69-65 home victory over Auburn in 2002, when the Tigers came out of the gates on fire and lead 27-7 with 10:58 left in the first half. That season also happened to be the last time the Rebels reached the Big Dance ... good omen.

Hopefully the Rebels won't face a deficit that large tonight at Mississippi State. Check out the game notes for more info on the grudge match in Starkville.

Thomas Moving Up In WNBA Mock Draft

Ole Miss All-America candidate Bianca Thomas continues to solidify her case as one of the nation's elite players. Thomas is first in the SEC and 10th in the nation in scoring with 21.3 points per game and just recently set a new school record for the most three-pointers in a single season. The Henderson, Tenn., native is definitely one of the most sought out seniors in the NCAA and is expected to be one of the top picks in this year's WNBA Draft. In the latest mock draft from DraftSite.com, Thomas is projected to be taken by the Washington Mystics with the 14th pick. Take a look at the complete mock draft by following this link.

Former Ballboy Britton Gives Haas A Match

Devin Britton became the youngest NCAA Singles Champion in men's tennis history last May while a freshman at Ole Miss, and now he's playing against the likes of Roger Federer and his latest opponent, Tommy Haas of Germany. Britton was once a ballboy for Haas, and Tuesday night, he faced the No. 4 seed in the first round of the SAP Open. Haas needed a second set tiebreaker to hold off the wildcard, Britton, 6-4, 7-6(3). Click here to read what both had to say.

Texas vs Nation Rundown

Did you watch the big game this weekend? Not the Super Bowl, the Texas vs. Nation All-Star game? If you missed it Saturday on CBS College Sports, here is a rundown of how our Rebels fared in front of the pro scouts.

LB Patrick Trahan was a late addition to the Texas roster (even though he's a Louisiana native) and finished second on the team in tackles with six. Also suiting up for the Lone Star state, DE Emmanuel Stephens was credited with a QB pressure, while TE Gerald Harris played but did not record a catch. For the Nation squad, Marshay Green returned three kickoffs for 57 yards and lost a yard on his only punt return. On defense, Green collected three solos stops in the secondary, while S Kendrick Lewis, whom the media targeted as one of the top players to watch, notched a pair of tackles. BTW, Texas prevailed 36-17 at El Paso's Sun Bowl.

Keeping It Clean

Between facebook.com/olemisssports, twitter.com/olemissnow and the site you are currently on, we're trying our best to utilize social media to keep you the fan in the loop on everything that is going on in Ole Miss Athletics. Our student-athletes also love their social media, and as an athletics department, we encourage them to be mindful of the content on their pages. Jamil Northcutt oversees our education efforts, and he recently talked about it with AOL Sports.

Fanhouse: Colleges Do UDiligence to Prevent Social Networking Embarrassment

Update On Dori

As we reported back in November, former Ole Miss All-American golfer Dori Carter has joined the Futures Tour, and WCTV in Valdosta recently did a story on their budding hometown star.

WCTV: Inside the Game - Tweaking a Swing

Devin Britton Gets Wildcard Into SAP Open

Since turning pro, 2009 NCAA Singles Champion Devin Britton has already faced the game's best in Roger Federer, at the U.S. Open. On Tuesday Britton will face another one of the top players in the game, Germany's Tommy Haas, in the first round of the SAP Open in San Jose, Calif. Britton received a wildcard into the main draw, while Haas is seeded No. 4 in the tournament. Click here to read Britton's thoughts on playing Haas.

Q&A With Warren

As the Rebels host the Tide today, check out a recent Q&A that Chris Warren did with the Gainesville Sun, which is keeping tabs on one of its homestate guys.

Gainesville Sun: Q&A with Mississippi's Chris Warren

Signee Features

When the hometown boy signs to play college football, the local media always gets excited (as do the coaches), and here are a few stories on some members of the Rebels' signing class. The Chattanooga articles were passed along to us by former Ole Miss Assistant SID Jeff Romero.

Miami Herald: Palmetto's Delvin Jones signs on with Ole Miss

Miami Herald:Hollywood Hills' Tony Grimes Ole Miss bound

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Success story (Martez Eastland)

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Duke quietly joins Ole Miss

Montgomery Advertiser: Late move by Ole Miss fulfills Prattville cornerback's dream (Cedric Smith)

News-Press: Mitchell signs with Rebels

Vote For Bianca Thomas

Rebel senior guard Bianca Thomas is one of 10 finalists for the 2009-10 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, and fan voting constitutes one-third of the final total to determine the winner. You have two ways of casting your vote to help Bianca win this award. You can either vote online by following this link or text W10 to 74567.

More Signing Day Reviews

Opinions of the Rebels' 2010 Signing Class continue to be high, as you can read from the links below. Also check out Coach Houston Nutt's interview on Nutt on Rivals Radio.

Clarion Ledger: Rebels sign class ranked high nationally

Commercial Appeal: Nutt excited about highly rated recruiting class

Sun Herald: Rebels class praised by national services

Cheers To A Successful Signing Day

NSD 2010 is coming to a close, and the early reviews give the Rebels two thumbs up, or more appropriately, five stars. Ole Miss' signing class is currently tabbed No. 14 by Scout.com and No. 17 by Rivals.com. Below are a couple of good reads.

AP: Mississippi schools fill needs on signing day

OleMissSports.com: Rebel Recruiting Continues Rise Under Nutt

National Signing Day!

National Signing Day is finally upon us (an actual holiday for some of you out there I'm sure).

For the latest updates on football signees go to Signing Day Central on OleMissSports.com.

In addition, for up-to-the-second info on signees subscribe to the Ole Miss twitter feed at Twitter.com/OleMissNow.

First Family Photos

As Super Sunday approaches, the Manning family is a popular media topic, particularly that one son that attended a different SEC school. Our archives contain a ton of old family pictures of the Manning clan, and of course, Sports Illustrated has a pretty good photo archive of their own. Check out some of their unique images of Football's First Family.

SI.com: Rare Photos of the Mannings

Four Rebs Slated For Texas V. Nation Game

We previously announced that Ole Miss TE Gerald Harris will be competing for his homestate team in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star game. Three more senior Rebels have since joined him, as DE Emmanuel Stephens will play for Texas while the Nation squad will feature S Kendrick Lewis and CB Marshay Green. The fourth annual all-star game will be held Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. CT in El Paso, and televised by CBS College Sports.