CAMP CASUALTIES: Ole Miss Camp Suffers String of Injuries — One Coach Calls It “The Worst Start I’ve Seen”
The searing Mississippi heat wasn’t the only thing bearing down on the Ole Miss Rebels during the first week of fall camp. By day four, the sidelines resembled a triage unit more than a football team’s prep ground. Trainers sprinted. Ice packs piled up. And the dreaded cart—the one no player ever wants to see—rolled out not once, but four times in 48 hours.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said defensive coordinator Mike Killman, sweat beading down his forehead. “In 18 years of coaching, this is the worst start I’ve ever seen.”
The first domino fell Monday afternoon when junior linebacker Trayvon “Tank” Harris—widely projected as a defensive captain—went down clutching his right knee during a non-contact drill. The entire practice halted. Silence. Then whispers. Then groans. By evening, the team confirmed the worst: a torn ACL. Out for the season.
Less than 24 hours later, sophomore wide receiver Mikey Delance, known for his track-star speed, collided mid-air with a defensive back during red zone drills. He landed hard—so hard teammates said they heard the pop. A fractured collarbone will sideline him until mid-October, if not longer.
And it didn’t stop there.
Wednesday brought two more setbacks. Right tackle Kyle Jergens suffered a high-ankle sprain while pulling on a screen play—he’ll miss at least three weeks. Then, backup quarterback Rhett Nolan took a helmet-to-helmet hit during a scramble. Trainers rushed in before his body even settled. Diagnosed with a concussion, Nolan is now in protocol with an uncertain timeline.
By Thursday’s walk-through, the energy was flat. Coaches kept the pace light, worried that even one more injury could derail the season before it begins.
“You spend all offseason building depth charts, scripting reps, preparing rotations,” head coach Lyle Haskins said. “Then in four days, everything shifts. It’s like you’re standing on quicksand.”
Sources inside the program say morale in the locker room has taken a hit. Veterans are frustrated. Rookies are being fast-tracked into first-team reps. And team meetings have taken on a more somber tone.
Injuries are part of football—everyone knows that. But this cluster of bad luck feels different. Almost cursed.
Still, the coaching staff insists they’ll adapt. More walkthroughs. Less full contact. Some even suggest revisiting the turf at Vaught-Hemingway, questioning if the field conditions contributed.
“Football’s a game of attrition,” Coach Killman added. “But we need the bleeding to stop—fast.”
With their opener against Georgia Tech just three weeks away, Ole Miss is now in scramble mode. Starters are shifting. Game plans are being rewritten. And whispers of a “cursed camp” echo through the halls.
One thing is certain: If the Rebels are to survive this season, they’ll have to fight harder—and heal faster—than ever before.
