OLE MISS MEDIA DAY NOTEBOOK: Violation of standards sidelines Liggins for fall camp

Published 6:03 am Tuesday, August 9, 2016

The final season of Jeremy Liggins’ collegiate football career is off to a rather ominous start.

The former Lafayette High standout was scheduled to be the key guy to replace the departed Laremy Tunsil at left tackle, but during Ole Miss’ first practice open to the media on Monday morning, the hometown offensive lineman was nowhere to be seen.

That would be due to Liggins being held out of fall camp entirely due to a violation of team standards, Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said afterward.

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“We’re working with (Liggins) to get him back out there as soon as we can,” Freeze said.

Freeze did not give any specifics about what Liggins’ infraction involved, causing him to essentially miss the first month of practices as fall camp will run right up to the season opener against Florida State on Sept. 5 in Orlando, Florida.

The issue caused some shuffling around at the left tackle position with redshirt freshman Alex Givens moving up to take snaps with the first-team offense in Monday’s practice while junior Rod Taylor took reps with the second team.

Highly touted five-star signee Greg Little took snaps with the third-team offense. Little is expected to become the starting left tackle sooner rather than later, much like Tunsil’s rise to the first team transpired three years ago.

Wiley practices
After being arrested on a domestic violence charge late last month, freshman defensive end Charles Wiley was present during Monday’s practice.

The case is still under investigation, and a court date is set for Aug. 24. Immediately after Wiley’s arrest on July 25, he was suspended from all team activities. That has been slightly amended with Wiley being able to practice.

“If we played a game today, Charles would not play in it,” Freeze said. “But all the knowledge that has been given to me, I feel like he should still be practicing until the courts decide whatever the case is and we’ll make a decision at that point.”

Injury update
Senior defensive end Fadol Brown was out of his walking boot Monday, and all signs point toward progress being made on the rehab front from surgery on the fractured foot he suffered late last season.

Brown did not participate in any practice activities, but Freeze noted when he asked Brown how the recovery process was going, Brown gave him a thumbs up.

Center Robert Conyers (ACL), defensive tackle Issac Gross (neck surgery), safety Tony Conner (meniscus surgery) and wideout Damore’ea Stringfellow (ankle injury) all participated. Conner wore a brace on his right knee.