Pete Golding will prove to Ole Miss fans that he is a problem in 2024, potentially preventing them from winning a national championship.
Ole Miss Football had possibly the most impressive offseason before to the 2024 season. They generated waves in the NIL space, as well as through important transfer portal signings, filling roster gaps with outstanding talent.
In fact, the Rebels’ transfer portal class was that strong. On3 classified it as the third best portal class in the US, after only Colorado and Louisville. Top additions were linebacker Chris “Poo” Paul Jr., edge rusher Princely Unamielen, defensive tackle Walter Nolan, and many more.
The additions, combined with Ole Miss’s great 2023 season under head coach Lane Kiffin’s 11-2 record, have people in Oxford optimistic about 2024. Not to mention that the Rebels welcome back quarterback Jaxson Dart, who will be a Heisman Trophy contender entering his third season as starter.
Why will Ole Miss Football have a disappointing season in 2024?
Despite Kiffin’s high-powered offense, which will undoubtedly produce touchdowns, there is a defensive disparity. That divide begins and ends with defensive coordinator Pete Golding. Unfortunately for the Rebels, the talents they acquired and are returning to the defensive side of the ball may be handicapped by Golding’s track record and inability to get the most out of his top players.
Steven Willis, the LockedOn Ole Miss host, argues that “Ole Miss needs three things for their defense to be elite.” They need the stars to perform like stars…The Juco (Junior College) signees are extremely crucial to the Ole Miss defense, and they must be an explosive unit.”
While it is undeniable that the Rebels have the Stars, as Willis points out, I do not believe Rebels fans are realistic about what they got from Alabama in Pete Golding.
How did Pete Golding do as the defensive coordinator at Alabama?
Points per game increased: Golding’s points per game allowed increased from 14.8 in his debut season to a high of 20.2 in 2021. Although it did drop to 18 points per game in 2022, that was well below expectations for Alabama fans who prided themselves on defense under then-head coach Nick Saban. And defensive coordinators before Golding shown that it could be done with defenses that scored far less than the 16.4 points per game average that Golding had during his five years as defensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa.
Takeaways per game decreased:Golding’s Alabama defenses never averaged more than two takeaways per game, and they never averaged more than 1.5 takeaways per game twice over his five seasons. Golding’s defenses fell so significantly in this metric that his average takeaways per game dropped to.9 in 2022, ranking 120th in the country.
Production of star players went down:In terms of notable players, linebacker Will Anderson was one of the Crimson Tide’s brightest stars during the Golding era. Anderson’s junior season saw 51 tackles and 10 sacks, down from 102 tackles and 17.5 sacks in his sophomore season. While they are still solid stats, they were not particularly impressive given Anderson’s level of play.
How has Pete Golding done so far at Ole Miss?
In his one and only season as Rebels defensive coordinator in 2023, Golding’s defense allowed 22.3 points per game, placing 59th nationally. They also averaged only 1.3 takeaways per game, ranking 88th in the country.
In Golding’s defense, this was only his first year. However, his finest years at Alabama and averages suggest that the Rebels’ defense will not improve far beyond what it accomplished in 2023. And, while this will be a better defense for the Rebels than what they had before Golding arrived, do not expect them to reach their goals of a national championship by 2024.
At the end of the day, productivity is what matters most, regardless of how much skill you have on the field. Golding’s statistics at Alabama and Ole Miss indicate differently.
