OXFORD ― There was almost nothing conventional about Ole Miss football's 2024 spring practices, which saw the Rebels onboard a transfer portal class of experienced SEC stars, eschew physical contact in favor of mental reps and turn their spring game into something you might see at Coney Island on July 4.

So, where does that leave them? What are the major questions for coach Lane Kiffin and his staff as Ole Miss shifts its focus toward the spring transfer portal window, which begins this week?

Here's a look at three big ones.

Who makes up Ole Miss football's best offensive line?

The Grove Bowl's limited football itinerary offered no information on the Rebels' offensive and defensive lines, except for how many hot dogs those guys could eat.

And the media viewing periods throughout spring drills indicated that this is a puzzle that isn't all that close to being solved.

That's a good problem for the Rebels, who returned three of their starting offensive linemen and added four experienced options in the transfer portal ‒ including three power conference starters, and two members of the Washington offensive line that went to the national championship game.

If Ole Miss can retain all of these players through the spring transfer portal period, it will enter 2024 with outstanding depth. That wasn't true last season, when the Rebels fielded a mediocre offensive line that became an outright problem later in the season as injuries piled up.

Deciding on the best starting unit up front will be one of the top storylines of preseason practice.

What is Suntarine Perkins' role for Ole Miss football?

Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding predicted this winter that Suntarine Perkins would see his role expand to more positions after occupying a 'Jack' edge rushing role as a true freshman.

Though Perkins was recruited as a linebacker, Golding explained that the Rebels lined him up on the edge to get his athleticism on the field while he worked to gain an understanding of the more complex linebacker role.

"As late as we got him in, I think you've got to simplify it," Golding said in December.

Golding was not made available to the media to update Perkins' progress this spring, but the Raleigh, Mississippi, native was named the Rebels' most improved defensive player of the spring, alongside fellow rising sophomore Jamarious Brown.

For now, Perkins' positional prospects seem to be in a holding pattern. He said he thinks he'll play the 'Jack' with middle linebacker looming "down the road." It's unclear how many miles are left on that trip.

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Who is the answer at running back for Ole Miss football?

The Rebels spent this spring giving running back reps to players who are unlikely to contribute heavily this fall. The returning Ulysses Bentley IV is recovering from an injury. Ole Miss is hopeful that LSU transfer Logan Diggs can play at some point in 2024, but it won't be right away.

Kiffin, the transfer portal savant, has expressed a willingness to look outward.

"You're going to have another free agency window coming up," he said in March. "If you guys look out there and look at our running back position, just like you would in the NFL, you're going to attack free agency at that spot. It is what it is."

Miami running back Henry Parrish Jr. reportedly will enter his name in the transfer portal this spring. He started his career at Ole Miss under current Rebels running back coach Kevin Smith, who he followed to Miami. Parrish rushed for 625 yards on 100 carries last season.

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: Three questions for Ole Miss football as spring practice concludes