Optimism reigns supreme at Ole Miss, which is coming off a 9-4 season and will enter the fall on a six-game winning streak going into the season opener at Memphis on Sept. 6.

But coach Houston Nutt, who will enter his second season since coming over from Arkansas, has told his player not to get too excited about preseason projections that have the Rebels in the top 10 or higher.

"The same experts who picked you basically last or toward the bottom and you were nowhere on the radar screen, those same people now are picking you high," Nutt said. "So really all those things mean nothing."

Well, there is one thing.

"Now, it is just we have a bull's-eye on our back," Kentrell Lockett, a junior and returning starter at defensive end, said. "We have to come out and play. We are expected to be between the No. 5 and No. 10 team in the nation. So we've got to come out and perform and prepare really well. That's what people expect of us."

There's no questioning the weapons the Rebels have on offense. Quarterback Jevan Snead is the SEC's leading returning passer, receivers Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster combined for 88 catches in 2008, and the Rebels showed depth at running back in the spring with sophomore Brandon Bolden, senior Cordera Eason and sophomore Enrique Davis.

As impressive as he was a year ago, Snead has even picked up the pace, Nutt said.

"If you heard him call the plays this year, it's just so much different than it was last year," Nutt said. "There's a real confidence, a real command in the huddle."

The priority on offense will be finding three new starters in the offensive line as well as building depth in the interior.

Defensively, the loss of tackle Peria Jerry is a big one, but the Rebels return eight starters on that side of the ball. And that doesn't include defensive end Greg Hardy, a pass-rushing specialist who has 18.5 sacks over the last two years.

NOTES, QUOTES

--Quarterback Jevan Snead is the leading returning passer in the SEC after averaging 212.5 yards a game throwing in 2008. That ranked third in the league behind Georgia's Matthew Stafford (266.1) and Arkansas' Casey Dick (235.1). Snead, a transfer from Texas, says he is more comfortable heading into his junior season. "I think a lot of that has to do with my experience and being around the offense for a year," he said.

--Wide receiver Dexter McCluster, who was the leading rusher for Ole Miss in 2008 after playing at three positions, including tailback in the "Wild Rebel" set, was one of only two players to rank in the top 10 in the SEC in rushing (50.4 yards per game), receptions (3.38 per game), receiving yardage (48.1), and all-purpose yards (98.5). The other was Florida's Percy Harvin.

SPRING MOVERS:

RB Brandon Bolden -- Bolden rushed for 542 yards and a team-high five touchdowns as a freshman last year with 101 of that total coming in the Cotton Bowl win over Texas Tech. A 5-11, 220-pound sophomore, Bolden is the banger the Rebels need inside. He gained 50 yards on just four carries in the spring game.

LB Patrick Trahan -- Trahan, who had two starts as a junior last year, registering two sacks among his 29 tackles, emerged as a defensive leader in the spring. He takes over the outside spot Ashlee Palmer manned in 2008.

DT Jerrell Powe -- Powe was rated the most improved defensive player in the spring. A junior, Powe, 6-2, 340, played in 12 games in 2008 and had 3.5 tackles for loss (1.5 sacks) among his eight tackles.

WR Jacarious Lucas -- A senior who sat out last year because of academic problems, Lucas didn't appear on the pre-spring two-deep depth chart. But he worked his way back and had a big day -- four catches, 137 yards, two touchdowns -- in the Red-Blue game. That could earn him some time in the rotation next fall.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "There's just some things that concerned me that we have to get better at. The No. 1 thing is depth in the offensive line. The guys that are here have got to get bigger and stronger in that second line." -- Coach Houston Nutt, assessing the spring for Ole Miss.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

2009 OUTLOOK: The return of 14 starters on the offensive and defensive units certainly gives Ole Miss reason for optimism in 2009. The Rebels finished fast last year, winning their last six games, including the Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech.

There are two key losses on either side of the ball. LT Michael Oher was a rock in the interior of the offensive line, and DT Peria Jerry leaves a big hole in the defensive front that must be filled. "Peria was the heart and soul of our defense," coach Houston Nutt said.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: QB Jevan Snead completed nearly 59 percent of his passes in 2008 after a year off following his transfer from Texas and looked even sharper in the spring. Though the Rebels averaged better than 186 yards a game rushing last year, they are looking to get more out of their running backs and not rely so much on WR Dexter McCluster, who did yeoman's duty in leading them in rushing yards. Brandon Bolden, Cordera Eason, and Enrique Davis will have to step up. In addition to McCluster, Shay Hodge, who matched McCluster with 44 catches, returns at wide receiver. Senior LG Reid Neely was moved to left tackle in Oher's spot late in the spring session when sophomore Bradley Sowell, No. 1 on the depth chart going in, was bothered by ankle problems. Three new starters must be found in the interior.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Only three starters are lost from last year's unit, but all three played key roles. In addition to Jerry, the Rebels are looking for replacements for LB Ashlee Palmer (50 tackles, one interception) and SS Jamarca Sanford (82 tackles, four interceptions). DE Kentrell Lockett, LB Jonathan Cornell, FS Kendrick Lewis and SS Johnny Brown all gained praise from coach Houston Nutt for their play in the spring. DE Greg Hardy sat out the spring but is expected to be a big factor in an improved pass rush. He had 8.5 sacks in 2008.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS: PK Joshua Shene returns for his senior season after going 17 of 21 on field goals in 2008. He has 42 career field goals. Junior Bryan Powers had only one punt in the spring game for 36 yards. Mike Wallace was the primary kickoff returner last year (35 for an average of 24.6) and must be replaced. Bolden (7-15.4), WR Lionel Breaux (2-22) and Eason (1-21) are the top candidates. Senior Marshay Green (35-10.1) is back to return punts.?

ROSTER REPORT:

--Reports are that DE Greg Hardy is progressing well after the offseason foot surgery that kept him out of spring practice. He is expected to be ready when fall drills open.

--WR Melvin Harris, a 6-7 redshirt freshman, missed spring practice after having surgery on his foot. He also should be available in the fall.

--DT Jerrell Powe received a noise violation for playing loud music in his apartment past midnight April 19, but it was his response to the police who wrote the citation that raised coach Houston Nutt's ire. The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson reported that Powe told the officer he couldn't read when he was asked to sign the citation. "Of course he can read," Nutt told the newspaper. "How do you think he's getting through college? Now he just needs to learn to keep his mouth shut." Three years ago, Powe was involved in a battle with the NCAA to gain eligibility, filing a lawsuit to gain admittance. It was during that time, the newspaper noted, that Powe's mother pleaded his case, saying her son "really is a good child, but he just can't read."