Ole Miss' five most important offensive players for 2015

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OXFORD – Ole Miss has two potential first-round picks in next year's NFL draft on the offensive side of the ball, but how productive the Rebels will be in 2015 is still a bit of an unknown.

The Rebels have question marks at key positions – at quarterback and along the offensive line – and if they hope to surpass the nine-win mark this fall, these players likely need to either continue to play like stars or have breakout seasons.

Here's a look at Ole Miss' five most important offensive players for 2015.

Jaylen Walton

Ole Miss' running struggles last season were well-documented.

Pick your stat, they all prove it. Like 4.6 yards per carry for the season, which was good enough for seventh in the Southeastern Conference. Or 75, which is where Ole Miss ranked in rushing yards per game in the nation last fall.

Now, blaming all that on Jaylen Walton certainly isn't fair. The struggles could be a blend of the talented defensive lines the Rebels faced paired with an offensive line that just never figured it out.

This season, Ole Miss must figure it out.

It's paramount the Rebels establish some sort of respectable running attack while breaking in a new quarterback. There needs to be something that prevents opposing defensive coordinators from vacating the box and dropping nearly everyone back in coverage.

Enter Walton.

The senior will again start the year as Ole Miss' No. 1 back. Walton showed some glimpses late last season, like his 148-yard performance in the Egg Bowl, which was highlighted by a video game-like, 91-yard touchdown run that sealed the Rebels' win.

The Rebels have proven smaller backs can have success in their system. Can Walton prove this year that he's a respectable SEC running back?

Laremy Tunsil

Laremy Tunsil's importance is obvious.

He's the guy who can say with a straight face – just days after having a cast removed – that his goal is to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NFL draft, because he very well could be. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound junior could qualify as a once-in-a-decade type of talent at tackle.

Tunsil would likely be one of the most important players on any roster in the country, but he's been even more vital to Ole Miss. Outside of Tunsil, the Rebels' offensive line was a mess last fall.

Tunsil can't fix it all by himself, but the All-American is a pretty good start. Tunsil does have some veterans to work alongside. Ole Miss returns all five starters from the fall, which includes four seniors with SEC experience. The key will be finding the other four to play alongside Tunsil.

Cody Core

Yeah, yeah, we all know how important Laquon Treadwell is to everything Ole Miss does offensively, but who's going to take some attention away from No. 1?

Right now, it seems like Cody Core has the early edge to be that guy.

Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze continually sang his praises during spring camp, calling him the most consistent and versatile among a loaded wideout group. The rising senior was a valuable part of the offense last fall right away, as seen in his two-touchdown day in the opener against Boise State.

Core started 10 games last season, finishing second to only Treadwell in receptions and tied for second in receiving touchdowns.

But Core has plenty of competition to be the Rebels' go-to No. 2 guy this fall.

Ole Miss is deep at wideout, and only got deeper a few weeks ago when former top 100 recruits Van Jefferson and DeMarkus Lodge arrived on campus.

Whoever emerges as that second target instantly becomes invaluable to Ole Miss, not only because it may free up the talented Treadwell to do more, well, Treadwell things, but a true No. 2 could go a long way in helping the Rebels' yet-to-be named quarterback find early success.

Evan Engram

Tabbing Evan Engram as simply a "tight end" seems unfair.

What he is, really, is a mismatch maker.

There aren't many 6-foot-3, 230-pounders who can run like wideouts. There also aren't many outside linebackers, nickel corners or safeties that can run with and defend that kind of player, either.

This offseason, Engram has been tabbed both first and second team All-American by a host of media outlets. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has him listed as the top underclassmen at tight end. And it's easy to see why. Last season, the former three-star recruit led all SEC tight ends in receiving yards.

Starting quarterback

With a loaded group of wideouts, a defense hyped to be just as good if not better than last year's bunch, and with potentially four first-round draft picks on its roster, Ole Miss needs to find a guy who's not going to screw it all up.

Is it Chad Kelly or Ryan Buchanan? Maybe even DeVante Kincade?

Time will tell, as there's good chance Freeze doesn't name a starter until Week 3 vs. Alabama. But the success of the season may hinge on that decision. A great quarterback can make a bad team look much closer to good. Conversely, a bad one can make a talented team look average at best.

The race for the starting job seems like it's realistically down to just Kelly and Buchanan. And the Rebels couldn't have two more different candidates.

If the Rebels hope to run their newly revisited up-tempo style as fast as possible, Kelly may be the guy. He's praised for his athleticism, as he was the former top dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school.

Kelly is flashy. He's not afraid to push the ball down field, nor is he timid to thread tight windows.

But that style comes with mistakes. Buchanan may not have the "wow" factor like Kelly displays on some plays, but he was said to have the slight edge after spring mostly because of his knowledge of the offense and more mistake-free play. Buchanan rarely forced throws during scrimmages, playing it safe and taking what the defense gave him.

The key in the competition may be this summer. Can Kelly use the down time to become familiar enough with the offense to limit his mistakes? If so, he may take the field as the starter in Tuscaloosa.

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Contact Riley Blevins at rblevins@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @Riley_Blevins on Twitter.