Jamious Griffin is ready to compete for carries in crowded Ole Miss backfield
Aug. 16—OXFORD — It's been a bit of a whirlwind the last handful of days for Ole Miss running back Jamious Griffin. But he's taking it all in stride as best he can.
Griffin, a transfer from Oregon State, committed to the Rebels on Aug. 4 — less than a month before Ole Miss takes the field for its opener against Mercer — and two days after the team began fall practice. Griffin started practicing with the team last week and, on Monday, he was getting reps with junior quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The Rome, Georgia, native — a former four-star recruit — ran for 488 yards and four touchdowns last season with the Beavers. He began his career at Georgia Tech.
"I just try to take everything like a professional. So, I come down here, have to learn the playbook pretty fast and fit in with the guys and not seem like I'm behind," Griffin told reporters Monday. "So, that's been a big part, just me getting here and being here and taking everything in as fast as I can."
Among the biggest adjustments for Griffin has been getting used to the Rebels' up-tempo offense compared to the slower pace Oregon State runs. Ole Miss ranked 14th nationally with 1,001 total plays run (77 plays per game), according to CFBStats.com. Oregon State, meanwhile, ran 846 total plays (65.1 plays per game).
Where the Beavers and Rebels are similar, however, is in their rushing emphasis: Ole Miss ran the ball 61.3% of the time in 2022, while Oregon State ran it 61.9% of the time.
Last season, the Rebels were anchored in the running game by Quinshon Judkins. Judkins set the single-season program rushing record as a freshman with 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns on his way to first-team All-SEC honors. He was flanked by Zach Evans, who ran for 936 yards and nine touchdowns and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
While Evans is gone, there was plenty of depth in Ole Miss' backfield before Griffin came on campus. Senior Ulysses Bentley IV was injured for much of 2022 but 1,559 yards and 15 touchdowns at SMU. The Rebels also added four-star freshman Kedrick Reescano in its 2023 signing class. Reescano was ranked inside the ESPN 300 and ran for 1,849 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior at Texas' New Caney High School.
Griffin is well aware he is entering into a crowded backfield. With Judkins — a preseason first-team All-SEC and preseason All-American pick — leading the charge, and an experienced player like Bentley there as well, touches might not come in bunches. But Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has worked with deep backfields before, as recently as 2021. That season, the Rebels ranked 12th nationally in rushing yards per game and featured four players with at least 550 rushing yards — running backs Henry Parrish Jr., Jerrion Ealy and Snoop Conner and quarterback Matt Corral.
Griffin also made it clear that he isn't afraid to battle for carries.
"I like competition, and I like feeding off people. And I feel like he can get me better, and I can get him better in ways," Griffin said. "So, I'm just here to work."
