GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
There is a chance that LSU will get to play Ole Miss on Saturday and not have to try to cover the best wide receiver in the country.
Ole Miss senior Tre Harris, also known as the Comeaux Comet beginning now, leads the nation in receiving yards (885) and receiving yards per game (147.5) and is fifth in receptions per game with 8.7. Harris (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) caught eight passes for 153 yards last season when the Rebels set the record for most yards ever gained against an LSU defense with 706.
Not bad for a two-star prospect out of Comeaux High in Lafayette in 2019-20 by 247Sports. He signed with Louisiana Tech in December of 2019 as the No. 98 prospect in Louisiana and No. 227 athlete in the country. He transferred to Ole Miss before the 2023 season.
It was Harris who caught the game-winning, 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jaxson Dart with 39 seconds to play against LSU last year in Oxford to give Ole Miss a 55-49 win and dash the Tigers’ playoff hopes.
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You can bet Harris would love to play so close to his home and certainly deserves to do so. After playing from 2020-22 at Louisiana Tech, he has played only once in Louisiana. He caught two passes for 55 yards with a 31-yard touchdown in a 37-20 win at Tulane last season. But Harris left Ole Miss’ win last week at South Carolina with a lower leg injury and did not return.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin listed Wallace as questionable on Wednesday in the Rebels’ availability report with the Southeastern Conference office. LSU, at the moment, is 93rd in the nation in pass defense with 236 yards allowed a game and five touchdowns. The No. 13 Tigers (4-1, 1-0 SEC) host the No. 9 Rebels (5-1, 1-1) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium on ABC.
“He couldn’t finish the first half, and wasn’t close to going in in the second half, and certainly wouldn’t be playing today,” Kiffin said Monday. “We’re preparing to play without him.”
Senior wide receiver Jordan Watkins and other receivers are preparing for the worst, too.
“Whenever you see Tre go down, that’s a huge concern for us because he’s such a good player,” Watkins said this week. Watkins has 10 catches on the season for 211 yards and two touchdowns.
“We’re telling ourselves as a receiver group that now it’s time to really step up and make plays,” Watkins said.
Ole Miss Played To Its Expectations At South Carolina
Also questionable for Ole Miss is starting senior edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, one of the top transfers in the nation entering this season. Umanmielen, who left Florida after last season for Oxford, has 3.5 sacks on the season and five quarterback hurries in five games and three other stops for losses. He had 15 sacks in 45 games over four seasons at Florida. Umanmielen missed the South Carolina game last week with the same injury.
Kiffin was vague about Umanmielen Wednesday on the SEC teleconference.
“Yeah, I hope he plays this week. But we don’t know that yet,” he said.
Another key Ole Miss defender hurt is sophomore linebacker T.J. Dottery, who is probable. He has 38 tackles on the season with 28 solo stops, one sack, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. Junior running back Matt Jones, who has gained 222 yards on 43 carries with three touchdowns, is doubtful.
For LSU, wide receiver Chris Hilton (ankle) remains questionable to play for the first time this season. Freshman running back and leading rusher Caden Durham (dislocated toes) has been upgraded to probable. Starting wide receiver CJ Daniels (knee) is questionable.
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