OXFORD — Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin said he "hopes" to have wide receivers Jordan Watkins and Juice Wells available when the Rebels open their season against Furman.

"But I don't know that," Kiffin said.

Both have been limited throughout most of preseason practice. Wells, a transfer from South Carolina, looked like he was full go on the first day of the preseason, then transitioned into a black non-contact jersey throughout the remainder of the practice periods open to the media.

Likewise, Watkins has been limited for the entire preseason, wearing a black jersey and working off to the side during most media viewing periods.

Watkins returned for a fifth collegiate season after a 741-yard campaign in 2023. Playing mostly out of the slot, Watkins caught 53 passes and scored three touchdowns last year.

Wells spent most of 2023 sidelined with a foot injury. In 2022, he parlayed 68 catches for 928 yards and six touchdowns into second-team All-SEC recognition.

The Rebels held a mock game on Saturday, and Kiffin praised his team's success running the ball against the scout team defense, noting that could come into play this weekend.

"We got a lot of receiver injuries going into this first game, so the ability to run the ball is going to be very important in this game," he said.

If the Rebels do have to reach down their depth chart for options at receiver when kickoff arrives on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+), they have plenty of capable depth options. Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee are talented sophomores, and earlier this month Ole Miss added Micah Davis, an honorable-mention All-Mountain West performer from last season.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart also touted true freshman Noreel White and veteran walk-on Josh Aka as players who have impressed him when called upon.

"Those guys have had great camps," Dart said. "Just getting better each and every day. They're super impressive guys to watch and throw the ball to. So, we've got a lot of weapons."

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David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Juice Wells injury: Lane Kiffin hopes transfer can play in Ole Miss opener