Three things we hope to learn from Ole Miss football, Lane Kiffin at 2023 SEC Media days

OXFORD — Get ready for plenty of zingers, one-liners, Jimbo Fisher shade and Nick Saban praise. Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin will take the stage at SEC Media Days on July 20, and he's sure to bring a party trick or two with him. Once that's out of the way, there are a handful of interesting talking points to cover as these Rebels gear up for 2023. Here are three things we hope to learn from Kiffin's time on stage. Where does the Ole Miss football quarterback competition stand? We'll start with the low-hanging fruit. Everything we saw in spring practice indicated that Jaxson Dart was firmly ahead of Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard. But it's been nearly three months since spring ball concluded and the Ole Miss facility closed its doors to the media. Has anything happened in those three months to alter the race? It's worth remembering that Sanders was recovering from an injury this spring, and as a result was placed on a pitch count. Both he and Howard will no doubt have progressed significantly within Kiffin's offensive schemes over that time, too. It's worth asking what Kiffin envisions for Austin Simmons this year, too, assuming Simmons has signed by then and Kiffin can speak publicly about him. The four-star prospect reclassified up by two cycles to join the Ole Miss quarterback room ahead of 2023. TOUGHEST FOES:Ranking quarterbacks on 2023 Ole Miss football schedule from KJ Jefferson to Will Rogers Why did Chris Marshall get dismissed from the program? One of Kiffin's prized offseason additions was dismissed from the Ole Miss program before he ever played a snap. Chris Marshall, a Texas A&M transfer wide receiver and five-star prospect in the 2022 class, was removed from the roster on May 6. A vague program statement did not provide any details on the matter. “Chris Marshall has been dismissed from the Ole Miss football program for violation of team rules," it read, in full. "We wish him good luck in his future plans.” Kiffin has not been available to the local media since this news broke, nor has any reporting emerged as to what caused the sudden decision. It's the kind of question that rarely receives a straight answer, but it's one that should be asked in Nashville next week. Does Kiffin feel Ole Miss made the defensive additions required to succeed? The Rebels hired Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding this offseason to come in and revolutionize their defense, moving away from a three-man defensive line to a four-man front. Speaking as spring practice wound down, Kiffin indicated that Ole Miss would need significant transfer portal additions on the defensive side of the ball to allow for that transition in system. The Rebels have brought in seven defensive transfers since then: Three defensive linemen and four defensive backs. There's not a whole lot of star power evident in those additions, outside of first-team All-Sun Belt pass rusher Isaac Ukwu. In Kiffin's view, did the Rebels do enough?