Ole Miss Football Finally Up to Snead

Jevan Snead refuses to get caught up in the hype churning around the Ole Miss Rebels.

The late-season success by the Rebels in 2008 is still the talk of college football as summer approaches. They have gone from homely doormat to a sexy pick for the Top 10. Snead, a junior quarterback, also continues to attract national attention. He was recently named the 20th-best player in college football by The Sporting News and his name has started to appear on preseason Heisman Trophy watch lists.

"Honestly, I've heard people mention things but I don't really look at all those preseason magazines and try to put too much into all of that stuff," Snead told FanHouse.

"It's exciting that we are getting some national respect, but we still have to go out there and prove we are good and that we can play and we can win. Last year was extremely exciting, but it was just as important to have a great spring, which was big for us, and to roll that momentum into the summer and continue to work hard."

The Rebels certainly won't be able to tip-toe around the SEC this season.

With a 9-4 record and a 5-3 mark in the SEC last year, first-year coach Houston Nutt led one of the greatest turnarounds in school history. It marked the program's best improvement from one season (3-9 in 2007) to the next since Ole Miss coach John Vaught's debut in 1947.

The Rebels knocked off three top-20 opponents away from home, including defending national champion LSU in Death Valley and eventual national champ Florida in The Swamp, the Gators' only loss of the year. Better yet, Ole Miss won its final six games and beat No. 8 Texas Tech, 47-34, in the Cotton Bowl and earned a No. 14 final ranking -- the program's highest finish since Eli Manning's senior season of 2003, when the Rebels finished 13th in the Associated Press poll.

"We're in different, unchartered waters right now, that our guys haven't been in before," Nutt said.

"Where last year at this time the experts picked us last in the West (Division) or close to it. What we have to realize is the same experts have now picked us close to the top. So all that means nothing, and it's by hard work and by getting better."

Snead, meanwhile, has finally found a home in Oxford, Miss.

Snead had committed to the University of Florida out of Stephenville (Texas) High, where he was a Parade All-American as a senior in 2006. But the Gators had also received a commitment from a home-state quarterback named Tim Tebow, so Snead elected to remain in Texas and become a Longhorn. Snead played sparingly his freshman season behind Colt McCoy, who had established himself as the Texas starter. That sent Snead back on the road, and he landed at Ole Miss in 2007.

After sitting out the 2007 season under NCAA rules, Snead's first season with the Rebels in 2008 was a huge success. He finished second in the SEC in touchdown passes (26), third in passing average (212.5 yards per game) and pass efficiency (145.5) and fourth in total offense (217.1). Although it was an impressive first tour through the SEC, Snead saw plenty of holes in his game. He also improved his confidence on the field and command in the huddle during spring drills.

"I have so much to improve on that I really can't point out one thing," said Snead, who completed 184-of-327 passes for 2,762 yards in 2008.

"I guess the biggest thing is I need to do is make better decisions. My decision making led to some turnovers early in the season last year. As I got more games under my belt, it improved a little bit but you can always get better."

Nutt liked what he saw from Snead in spring drills.

"When you look at Jevan's first six games and then his last six, it's not even close," Nutt said.

"Jevan really matured as a quarterback and became much more knowledgeable. His reads got better, he was getting us out of bad plays, his accuracy improved and he just got more and more comfortable. He's been around the playbook for a year and he's just gotten better."

Snead said the Rebels have added some new wrinkles to an offensive scheme that will feature, to some extent, a rebuilt offensive line. Left tackle Michael Oher, a first-round draft selection of the Baltimore Ravens, and left guard Darryl Harris are gone. Sophomore Bradley Sowell and senior Reid Neely, a three-year letterman, are expected to step in as starters.

The Rebels are deep at running back, a strength that should help open the passing game for Snead. Dexter McCluster (655 rushing yards), Codera Eason (647), Brandon Bolden (542), who emerged as the starter out of spring, and Enrique Davis (244) give Ole Miss plenty of rush options. The Rebels are also plenty talented at receiver, but they will certainly miss Mike Wallace. Wallace caught seven touchdown passes last season as a senior and averaged 20.1 yards per catch to rank first among SEC receiving leaders.

"We can do so many different things and we have so many different packages," said Snead, whose favorite quarterback at a youth was Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys. "Most of us have been around each other for a few years now and everyone knows each other. That's why it's important for us as a team this summer to work hard on the practice field and in the weight room to prepare for the start of practice (in August)."

While Snead says he's honored to be mentioned among the country's elite players, he wants to make sure the Rebels are not one-hit wonders. Ole Miss certainly has a manageable schedule with Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU at home.

"The way I look at it, I am just doing my job and doing everything I can to help us win," Snead said. "It's exciting that fans and the community are behind us and we realize this is a great opportunity. But, like I said, we need to go out there and prove that we can win."