Khari Coleman is a difference-maker when he’s on the field. The question for Ole Miss currently though, is whether he’ll see the field anytime soon.
The 6-2, 225-pound linebacker/edge rusher from New Orleans is entering his second season in Oxford. After two quality seasons at TCU, including being named to multiple Freshman All-American teams in 2020, Coleman announced his transfer to the Rebels before the 2022 season. In his first year at Ole Miss, he continued that production, racking up 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Last year’s coming-out performance has even given him a bit of national recognition, as well. He’s entering this year as a member of the Butkus Award Preseason Watch List, an award given annually to the nation’s top linebacker.
Which then leads to the current issue.
Coleman “Removed From Team Activities”
Ole Miss held its first scrimmage of fall camp on August 12, yet Coleman was nowhere to be found. This naturally raised questions as to what had happened to the potential budding star.
Following the scrimmage, head coach Lane Kiffin confirmed that Coleman had been removed from team activities, though he didn’t get into details.
“As you guys know, we handle discipline internally. We always collect all information and everything,” Kiffin said when asked about the situation. While this confirmed that it was a disciplinary matter, it didn’t answer many questions.
Then, Chase Parham, editor of RebelGrove.com, broke the news alleging that it was related to an indecent exposure charge that took place on campus on August 4. Also according to Parham, the University Police Department told RebelGrove that the incident report wasn’t available, due to it being an ongoing investigation.
Needless to say, if those reports are accurate, this becomes a far more serious situation than many would have hoped.
It’s also worth noting that, at the time of this writing, Coleman has remained out of practice.
Impact Coleman’s Absence Could Have On the Defense
As has been previously covered, the Rebels’ defense is set to make noise this season, especially the defensive line. That could take a hit if Coleman were to end up missing extended time. While technically listed as a linebacker, Coleman also can come off the edge and make a real impact.
Now, it’s certainly easy to argue that one single player shouldn’t make that big of an impact. However, when we’re talking about the team’s co-leader in tackles for loss last season, it’s a big loss. That is if he’s suspended, as there’s been no further comment from Kiffin regarding the situation.
The good news is that with Pete Golding entering his first year as the Ole Miss defensive coordinator, the defense is expected to be prepared, regardless of who’s on the field. To this point, that does seem to be the case. Despite Coleman’s absence, there are many reports circulating that the Rebels’ defense carried the way in last week’s scrimmage.
However, the Rebels’ schedule this season is unforgiving, and there’s a big difference between a fall scrimmage and an SEC slate. While we understand that virtually every SEC team faces a tough gauntlet annually, the Ole Miss schedule this season is brutal. In fact, according to ESPN, the Rebels are set to face the toughest schedule in the country.
If you’re looking ahead at the season and see that schedule, you certainly want to have all hands on deck. And currently, it looks like Ole Miss may be without a key part of their defense. If Coleman misses significant time, the outlook for the season could take a major hit.
We’ll see how it turns out, but right now, things seem a bit bleak in Oxford.
Photo courtesy: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
