Ole Miss may not know whether they will have last season’s leading rusher available for the season opener, but at least the Rebels officially know who will be under center.
Thursday afternoon, first-year head coach Hugh Freeze announced that Bo Wallace will start Saturday against Central Arkansas. The redshirt sophomore had been involved in an offseason-long competition with junior Barry Brunetti, who transferred to the Rebels from West Virginia in January of last year and, after receiving a waiver for immediate eligibility from the NCAA, started two of the five games in which he played.
Wallace is a transfer as well, coming to the Rebels from the JUCO ranks in January of this year. Wallace transferred down to that level after spending a season at Arkansas State, where Freeze was his offensive coordinator.
Wallace and Brunetti had been in what was described as “a dead heat” for the starting job since spring practice.
Randall Mackey started six games at quarterback last season, but was moved to running back for the 2012 season. Zack Stoudt, who started the other four games not started by Brunetti and Mackey last season, quit football earlier this year due to “health-related issues.”
(Photo credit: Ole Miss athletics)