ESPN College Football

It’s that time of year all football coaches hate.

While most of the players are on campus for summer school and going through conditioning and voluntary workouts, it’s also a given that the players have more free time than usual.

That means more time to get in trouble, get injured away from football or just generally find themselves in a precarious position that leads to off-the-field issues.

And many times, it’s just bad luck.

A year ago, the whole state of Mississippi collectively held its breath after initially hearing about the scary car wreck involving Dexter McCluster and Greg Hardy. Fortunately, they escaped without serious injury after a car pulled out in front of them, although Hardy did aggravate his foot injury.

More recently, it was Kentucky running back Derrick Locke, who broke a bone in his left forearm during a moped accident last week. Locke will be in a splint for four weeks and re-examined by doctors at that point.

The good news is that it doesn’t appear he will need surgery, which means he should be good to go when preseason practice begins in August.

In the immortal words of Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on “Hill Street Blues,” let’s be careful out there.

Today, we take a look at what should be the strongest and weakest positions for Ole Miss entering the 2010 season:

Strongest position: Defensive line

Key returnees: Kentrell Lockett, Jerrell Powe, Ted Laurent, Lawon Scott, LaMark Armour, Justin Smith

Key departures: Marcus Tillman, Greg Hardy, Emmanuel Stephens

The skinny: If junior college newcomer Wayne Dorsey is as good as the Rebels think he is, then they have a chance to be even better than they were last season in the defensive line. The 6-6, 255-pound Dorsey will step in at the end opposite Lockett and has all the tools to be a dominant pass-rusher. There’s not much proven depth behind him at end, but Ole Miss will again be one of the deepest teams in the country at tackle. Powe returns as one of best interior linemen in the league. Lockett and Powe combined for 22 tackles for loss last season, including eight sacks. The good news for the Rebels is that they have enough quality interior defensive linemen that they should always have a fresh guy in the game. You win with muscle up front in the SEC, and the Rebels have plenty of it.

Weakest position: Quarterback

Key returnees: Nathan Stanley, Raymond Cotton

Key departures: Jevan Snead

The skinny: The silver lining to Snead’s disappointing season last year was that he would at least have his senior season to put everything together. He was brilliant as a sophomore, but threw an SEC-high 20 interceptions last season as a junior. But after the season, he surprised most people by announcing he was turning pro, which leaves sophomore Nathan Stanley and redshirt freshman Raymond Cotton to duke it out for the starting job this spring. Neither has any meaningful experience, and Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said this week that getting them ready to play in the SEC next season would be the biggest challenge of their coaching careers. Stanley has at least played some in a mop-up role and probably has the advantage, but Nutt said it would be an open competition. When junior college transfer Randall Mackey arrives this May, he will also get a shot. Mackey is more of an athlete and should fit nicely into the Wild Rebel package.

Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy, who was injured for much of the season, has been selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game.

Other SEC players on the East roster include Ole Miss kicker Joshua Shene, Mississippi State linebacker Jamar Chaney, LSU tight end Richard Dickson, LSU defensive end Rahim Alem, Alabama safety Justin Woodall, Arkansas offensive lineman Mitch Petrus, Florida linebacker Ryan Stamper, South Carolina safety Darian Stewart and Tennessee offensive tackle Chris Scott.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

He came back hoping to have a big senior season, and most of all, a season void of injuries.

But it didn't go as planned for Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy, who will undergo surgery Thursday to repair a fractured left wrist and miss the remainder of the season.

"He's had some awfully bad luck," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said.

Hardy, viewed as a first-round NFL draft pick when the season began, injured his ankle in the opener and then hurt his wrist last week against Northern Arizona. He'd already undergone surgery on his foot in the offseason and was hobbled all last season by a stress fracture in his foot.

When Hardy was right, he was one of the most feared pass-rushers in the SEC. But rarely during his college career did he go long stretches when he was right.

"Our problem is that we never really had him healthy for a long period of time," Nutt said. "We wish Greg all the best in the future."

Hardy, who was playing primarily on passing downs, was leading the Rebels in sacks this season with five. He finishes his Ole Miss career with 26.5 sacks in 39 career games. In each of his last three seasons, he never played more than 10 games.

Still, with his ability to get to the quarterback, somebody in the NFL is going to take a chance on him in the first two rounds.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams, who's having a superb senior season, cracked Mel Kiper's Big Board this week of the top 25 prospects for the 2010 NFL draft.

Williams came in at No. 21 this week, and Kiper said Williams has been moving up his list all season long with his relentlessness and ability to make big plays against good teams. Kiper noted that Alabama was unable to block Williams.

With Williams being added to the Big Board, Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy dropped off this week.

Also dropping off was Alabama noseguard Terrence Cody, whom Kiper isn't sold on as the next great run-stopper.

Ironically, Cody was named Wednesday as one of the four finalists for the Lombardi Award.

The other SEC players making the Big Board this week were Tennessee safety Eric Berry (No. 2), Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap (No. 4), Florida cornerback Joe Haden (No. 11), Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain (No. 14) and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes (No. 25).

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has a new Big Board out, and six SEC players remain among his top 25 draft-eligible players.

Tennessee safety Eric Berry dropped from No. 2 to No. 3. Berry was replaced in the No. 2 spot by Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who had a huge game against Missouri last week.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford remains No. 1.

Other SEC players this week are: Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap at No. 7, Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody at No. 13, Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy at No. 18, Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes at No. 19 and South Carolina outside linebacker Eric Norwood at No. 24.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Tennessee safety Eric Berry remains No. 2 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest Big Board, which rates the top 25 draft-eligible players in college football.

Of note this week is that Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead has dropped off the board, although Kiper says that's not strictly performance-based. Snead played poorly in the Rebels' 16-10 loss at South Carolina last week.

Kiper explains that if a junior isn't in his top 15 that he's going to leave him off the board.

Speaking of Snead and that loss to the Gamecocks, a player who's played his way onto the board is South Carolina senior outside linebacker Eric Norwood, who checks in this week at No. 24. Norwood leads the SEC with six sacks.

Other than Berry, whom Kiper says is cut from the Ed Reed mold as a defensive playmaker, the SEC players on the board are Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap at No. 5, Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody at No. 11, Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy at No. 13 and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes at No. 21.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- We hadn't heard much from Greg Hardy all night.

But when Ole Miss needed a play, he came through with a big sack of South Carolina's Stephen Garcia to get the ball back for the Rebels. Hardy, who's nursing a sprained ankle, still doesn't look full speed.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Ole Miss tight end Gerald Harris, who's been plagued by a hamstring injury, didn't make the trip.

Fullback Andy Hartmann (knee) also won't play in Thursday night's game. But senior defensive end Greg Hardy is dressed and plans to play in the game. Hardy missed last week's game after spraining his ankle in the opener.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Ole Miss and South Carolina both have reasons to be confident about Thursday night’s game (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET). Here’s a look at the top three things each team has going for it as we count down to kickoff:

OLE MISS

Defensive line muscle: Even without a fully healthy Greg Hardy, Ole Miss has one of the deepest defensive lines in college football. The Rebels hope to get a few plays out of Hardy, who sprained his ankle in the opener. They just don’t know how many plays. Even so, look for Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix to be aggressive. Having a front four of Kentrell Lockett and Marcus Tillman at the ends and Jerrell Powe and Ted Laurent at the tackles opens up a lot of things for everybody else on defense.

Snead’s due: It’s not like junior quarterback Jevan Snead has stunk up the joint in the Rebels’ first two games. He’s been just OK and finished strong against Memphis in the opener. The thing is: He’s a lot better than just OK, and you know he’s going to break out sooner or later with one of those games where he carves a defense apart. The Gamecocks are young in the secondary, so you can bet that Snead will take a few shots.

Running to glory: The Rebels’ running game is one of the more diverse running games in the league. They can line it up and come at you with more of a traditional approach with any combination of Brandon Bolden, Enrique Davis and Cordera Eason. But they also keep you off balance with Dexter McCluster and that Wild Rebel formation. Senior right tackle John Jerry is a devastating run-blocker, and Ole Miss likes to run behind him. Senior center Daverin Geralds is also solid up the middle, but the Rebels are hurting right now at fullback because of injuries. They may play 315-pound offensive lineman Mark Jean-Louis some at fullback against the Gamecocks.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Playing to the crowd: The home-field advantage at Williams-Brice Stadium, especially in a night game, can be a huge factor. That is, if South Carolina will let it be a factor. Playing well early and keeping the crowd in it will be crucial for the Gamecocks, who would love to get ahead from the outset and put Ole Miss in a position where the Rebels are having to throw on every down. Making checks and making adjustments at the line of scrimmage can be pretty difficult when nobody can hear anything.

The Big ‘E’: The SEC defensive MVP award through the first quarter of the season goes to South Carolina senior outside linebacker Eric Norwood, who leads the SEC with four sacks. He’s not just a pass-rusher, either, as evidenced by his interception return for a touchdown against Georgia. Norwood and junior end Cliff Matthews are a handful for any offensive line, but they will be matched up against a left side of the Ole Miss offensive line that’s been shaky this season. Sophomore left tackle Bradley Sowell is a first-year starter.

Stephen Garcia takes flight: The Gamecocks’ sophomore quarterback is improving weekly, which is music to the ears of the South Carolina fans who endured what had to seem like an eternity of Garcia making more news off the field than on the field. He’s throwing the ball with more confidence, seeing the field better and will no doubt set his sights on an Ole Miss secondary that’s the most unproven part of that defense. The Rebels will come after him, but Garcia is one of the best quarterbacks in the league when it comes to escaping pressure.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said Wednesday he expects senior defensive end Greg Hardy to play some Thursday night against South Carolina, but it sounds like Hardy could be limited.

“He’s a little better and we expect to get a few plays out of him. I don’t know how many, but he’s getting better and we’re excited he was on the field [in practice] this week,” Nutt said.

Hardy, who’s had 18.5 sacks his last two seasons, sprained his ankle in the opener against Memphis and didn’t play last week against Southeastern Louisiana. He missed spring practice after undergoing surgery on his right foot in January.

Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix classified Hardy as about 80 percent earlier this week.

“If he’s not full go, it will be hard for us to ask him to go out there and compete at a high level,” Nix said. “He’s been moving around better. I’m counting on him.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said Monday he expects senior defensive end Greg Hardy to be able to play Thursday night against South Carolina.

Hardy missed the Southeastern Louisiana game after spraining his ankle in the opener against Memphis. The Rebels' three sacks in their first two games rank last in the SEC. Hardy has 18.5 sacks in his last two seasons and is one of the most feared pass-rushers in the country when's healthy.

While Nutt expects Hardy to play against the Gamecocks, senior tight end Gerald Harris is doubtful with a hamstring injury that has lingered since the preseason. Redshirt freshman Ferbia Allen is scheduled to start in Harris' place.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Ole Miss’ Greg Hardy is on the shelf … again.

The senior defensive end is an incredible talent, but he’s never been able to stay healthy.

This latest injury was really unfortunate. He sprained his left ankle in the opener against Memphis after being blocked below the waist by Memphis receiver Duke Calhoun.

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt sent the tape of the block to the SEC office, and coordinator of officials Rogers Redding agreed that the block was illegal.

Nutt doesn’t expect Hardy to play this Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana. The Rebels hope he will be ready to go in time for the Sept. 24 game at South Carolina, a Thursday night game in Columbia.

Hardy had foot surgery during the offseason to repair a stress fracture that plagued him all of last season. He only played in nine games last season and 10 the year before.

The last thing he wanted (or Ole Miss wanted) was to have something else nagging at him one game into this season.

Who knows the last time we’ve seen him at 100 percent?

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

It's not the kind of start Jevan Snead and the Ole Miss offense were hoping for. In fact, if not for a big play by the defense right before the end of the first half, the Rebels would be in big trouble right now -- and they still might be.

Snead threw two interceptions in the first half, the first one while rolling right and the second one on a deep ball down the middle that he forced after getting some pressure. Snead looks a lot like the quarterback we saw in the first half of the 2008 season and not the one who threw 16 touchdown passes and only three interceptions during the Rebels' six-game winning streak to end the season.

Senior defensive end Greg Hardy had to be helped from the game in the first half after his left leg buckled underneath him when one player hit him low and another high. He was able to return to the game, though, and was just in on a third-and-long play.

Ole Miss leads Memphis, 17-7, midway through the third quarter.

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Mel Kiper Jr. has his first Big Board out for the 2010 draft, and there are several SEC names near the top.

Not surprisingly, the top three are juniors. Tennessee safety Eric Berry is Kiper's No. 2 overall prospect. Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap is his No. 3 prospect and Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead is his No. 7 prospect.

Also on the Big Board from the SEC are Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy at No. 16, Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes at No. 17 and Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody at No. 19.

My first question after scanning all 25 selections on his Big Board (and yes it's early) is: Where is Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain?

At least two NFL people I've talked with have said McClain is perhaps the best inside linebacker prospect in college football.

I'd also bet that LSU offensive tackle Ciron Black, LSU receiver Brandon LaFell, Kentucky cornerback Trevard Lindley, Florida cornerback Joe Haden and Georgia defensive tackle Geno Atkins will all have a chance to work their way onto that board before it's over.