Ole Miss Preview
David Billiot Jr • April 10, 2026
Happy Friday, everyone! Every week, I take extensive notes on LSU’s weekend opponent, including tons of team stats. I run through them on Geaux Deep Dive, but this week I decided to put those on the blog for anyone who doesn’t catch the show. A lot of numbers can also become tough to follow when reading them out, as well, so being able to read them with your own eyes may even be more effective. I will say where Ole Miss ranks out of the 16 SEC teams with each stat that I present and I will also include LSU’s rank in parentheses for comparison. If there are any improvements you would like to see within these going forward, please let me know!
Team Hitting
Runs scored: 13th – 6.6 per game (LSU: 4th – 8.6 per game)
Batting average: 15th - .256 (LSU: 8th - .286)
Doubles: 16th – 49 (LSU: 14th – 57)
Homeruns: 8th – 52 (LSU: 4th – 57)
On base %: 12th - .391 (LSU: 5th - .418)
Strikeouts: 1st – 334 (LSU: 9th – 257)
Walks: T-4th – 204 (LSU: 3rd – 208)
Hits: 16th – 8.0 per game (LSU: 5th – 9.5 per game)
Team Pitching
ERA: 4th – 3.67 (LSU: 12th – 4.58)
Strikeouts: 2nd – 390 (LSU: 1st – 408)
Walks: T-9th – 115 (LSU: 4th – 157)
HRs allowed: 7th – 32 (LSU: T-10th – 25)
Hits allowed: 5th – 7.6 per game (LSU: 12th – 6.9)
Runs allowed: 11th – 4.0 per game (LSU: 3rd – 5.1 per game)
BA against: 5th - .235 (LSU: 15th - .215)
Fielding: 10th - .973 (LSU: 16th - .963)
Pitching Matchups
Game 1 (Friday – 6:30 pm)
Ole Miss – RS Jr LHP Hunter Elliott: 3-1 (8 starts) / 3.79 ERA / 40.1 IP / 60 Ks / 26 BBs / .201 BA against
LSU – Soph RHP Casan Evans: 2-1 (8 starts) / 4.97 ERA / 41.2 IP / 59 Ks / 21 BBs / .205 BA against
Game 2 (Saturday – 4:00 pm)
Ole Miss – Sophomore RHP Cade Townsend: 2-1 (7 starts) / 1.82 ERA / 29.2 IP / 46 Ks / 7 BBs / .189 BA against
LSU – Soph RHP William Schmidt: 4-2 (8 starts) / 2.63 ERA / 41.0 IP / 56 Ks / 14 BBs / .208 BA against
Game 3 (Sunday – 1:30 pm)
Ole Miss – RS Soph RHP Taylor Rabe: 3-1 (2 starts) / 3.20 ERA / 25.1 IP / 32 Ks / 4 BBs / .229 BA against
LSU – Sr RHP Grant Fontenot: 0-0 (1 start) / 1.50 ERA / 12.0 IP / 15 Ks / 7 BBs / .289 BA against
Top Hitters
Tristan Bissetta (Senior RF) - .331 BA / .439 OB / 38 RBI / 32 R / 14 HRs / 6 doubles / 46 Ks / 24 BBs
Judd Utermark (Senior 3B) - .298 BA / .436 OB / 32 RBI / 38 R / 13 HRs / 7 doubles / 42 Ks / 26 BBs
Will Furniss (Senior 1B) - .297 BA / .432 OB / 22 RBI / 23 R / 2 HRs / 6 doubles / 27 Ks / 26 BBs
Collin Reuter (Senior DH) - .282 BA / .383 OB / 25 RBI / 17 R / 4 HRs / 11 doubles / 43 Ks / 14 BBs
Hayden Federico (Soph CF) - .248 BA / .386 OB / 9 RBI / 16 R / 0 HRs / 4 doubles / 16 Ks / 17 BBs
A quick share helps us a lot!
RB 
Jake Randle @JakeRandle22 
Jake Randle is a versatile running back from the Class of 2026, known for his speed and agility. Standing at 5-10 and weighing 190 pounds, he has a compact, athletic build suited for the position with potential to add more muscle in college. 
Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, Randle attended Isidore Newman School, a program with a strong football tradition. He comes from a family of football players, which has influenced his development on the field. 
In addition to football, Randle is a multi-sport athlete with experience in track and field, where he recorded an 11.48-second 100-meter dash and a 23.36-second 200-meter dash as a sophomore. 
During his senior year in 2025, Randle transitioned to quarterback for his team, showcasing his adaptability and team-first mentality. 
Scouting Report: 
Speed and Athleticism: Clocked a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical, and a 10-foot-1-inch broad jump at Tulane’s camp. His top-end speed reaches 21.53 mph, making him fastest on his team. Track background enhances his burst and long-speed. 
Versatility and Hands: Excelled as a receiver out of the backfield with reliable hands and lateral quickness. His successful switch to quarterback in 2025 demonstrates adaptability and football IQ. 
Vision and Elusiveness: Shows good patience and cut-back ability, averaging over 9 yards per carry in his junior year. Effective in open space and as a third-down back. 
Work Ethic and Leadership: Never missed a weight room session, served as team captain, and thrived under pressure in big games and position changes. 
Upside: Multi-sport profile and family football background suggest high developmental potential. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
RB 
Jaylin Lucas- FSU @jaylinlucas1 
Hall is rebuilding the attack around tempo, a passing game, pro-style elements (heavy tight end usage), more speed, and big-play explosiveness. He created the “Super Back” position specifically for versatile, mismatch-creating weapons like Lucas and Maurice Turner: “Mo and Jaylin will be our ‘X’ factor,” Hall said. “They’ll line up in the backfield, in the slot, everywhere. (Think Percy Harvin Role) 
They’re Darren Sproles, Reggie Bush, Christian McCaffrey-type players. Hall calls it the Super Back position.” 
Hall explicitly plans to deploy Lucas the same way Reggie Bush was used at USC, motion, screens, receiving, and explosive runs. 
In spring ball, Lucas has already flashed: “You’ll see him everywhere. Screen, passing game, he caught a hitch on the first day.” His twitch and speed were immediately noticeable, aligning perfectly with Hall’s vision for an entertaining, big-play offense. Lucas’s career production backs it up: 719 rushing yards & 4 TDs, 456 receiving yards & 2 TDs, plus elite special teams (1,420 kickoff return yards & 3 TDs, plus punt returns). He instantly upgrades both the backfield and return game after Tulane lost specialists. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X