Mississippi 2021 Spring Game: The Players Who Starred

Spring is a beautiful time of year, the weather is warming up, the days get longer and college football teams hold fifteen practices usually culminating with some form of spring game. That spring game is often the first chance fans have to see their team in action. Sure, the rules vary depending on the team, players rotate in and out, and some of the big stars don’t play much, but it’s still the first look at the team. It’s dangerous to read too much into spring game performances, but that won’t stop us from highlighting a few players who impressed in Mississippi‘s spring game.

Matt Corral

Corral had a big 2020 season and picked up right where he left off in the spring game. On the first play of the game he connected with Braylon Sanders on a deep pass and set the tone for the game. He showed off his arm strength with deep balls down the field and was accurate in the intermediate and short passing game. Corral showed a good feel for the offense and was able to check it down to his safety valve when necessary, rather than forcing a bad throw. He had a good game, completing 12 of 19 passes for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. Corral was clearly the best quarterback in the game and made several big plays while he was in the game.

Braylon Sanders

Sanders has obviously developed a good chemistry with Corral and benefited from that during the spring game. He got behind the secondary to open the game with a big play on the first play from scrimmage. He would get open deep again in the second quarter to get the team into the redzone and then finished the drive with a touchdown catch in the back of the endzone on a crossing route. Sanders proved he can be the go-to receiver for Corral with Elijah Moore now making plays in the NFL. Sanders finished the game with 4 catches for 135 yards and the one touchdown.

Deantre Prince

The Rebels struggled defensively in 2020, but there was cause for optimism during the spring game. Prince’s strong play at cornerback was a bright spot for the Blue team defense. He made a big play early in the game, showing good instincts to adjust to a tipped pass and the ball skills to make a diving interception. Later Prince showed the ability to make plays in man coverage as he ran step for step with the receiver on a crossing route and broke up the pass. He was in good coverage throughout the day and made plays when he was tested, showing he could be a key part of the 2021 secondary.

Desanto Rollins

Another area where the Blue team excelled was on the defensive line. Desanto Rollins was a member of the 2020 recruiting class and made several big plays up front during the Spring Game. He played with a good motor and was able to get in the back field on multiple occasions. Twice the young defensive tackle got to the quarterback and recorded the sack and on another occasion he beat his blocker to tackle the running back in the backfield for a loss. Improvement on defense starts with the defensive line and Rollins showed he can be a key player on the interior for the Rebels.

Demon Clowney

Clowney was the highest rated member of the 2020 recruiting class and also flashed on the defensive front. Clowney has a quick first step and is able to get into the backfield before blockers are ready for him. He made a tackle for loss early in the game by getting quick penetration and then later recorded a sack as well. Clowney is a physically impressive player who has the athletic ability to be a star on edge. He made a few nice plays in the spring game and with continued development could play a key role this fall.

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Vaught–Hemingway Stadium 02 Image taken by Matthew Nichols is licensed under CC BY 2.0.