By Matt Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

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With the youth of the Ole Miss defense this fall, Tony Conner realizes that he must become more of a vocal leader on the field.

Without Ole Miss unexpectedly impressive recruiting haul in 2013, it is almost certain that the Rebels would not find themselves ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press Poll as the 2016 college football regular season begins.

That recruiting class for Hugh Freeze and his staff in 2013 put the program back on the national map, and established Ole Miss as a serious contender in the treacherous SEC West.

Of all of the talent that was signed in the 2013 recruiting, four players stood out above the rest because of their rankings as legitimate five-star prospects.

Fast-forward to the start of the 2016 season, and only one of those elite prospects still remains in Oxford.

In all likelihood, strong safety Tony Conner probably would have elected to forego his final season of collegiate eligibility like Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil and Laquon Treadwell had he not suffered a pair of knee injuries which kept him out for the majority of last fall.

Conner tore the meniscus in his knee in the third game of the season against Alabama, and would proceed to miss the next six contests. He returned in time for the Arkansas game in early November, but would play in only one additional game before experiencing another setback in his knee, prematurely ending his season.

As the lone member of the cBig Fourd from the 2013 recruiting class returning for the 2016 season, Conner is being looked to as the leader of the defense during his final year in Oxford.

The Rebels have continued to recruit at a high level since the impressive haul in 2013, so there is by no means a dearth of talent and athleticism as the season approaches. There is, however, an overall lack of experience on the team as a whole, and in particular with the defensive backfield.

cI forget how young we are sometimes,d Freeze said after a recent preseason practice. cWere playing a lot of young kids on the backend of our defense right now. They have potential to be very good, but they are young. You make one mistake against a team like the ones we have to play early on, it can be costly.d

When it comes to the playing field, Conner has usually let his actions talk louder than his words. A preseason second-team All-SEC selection, Conner has already established himself as one of the conferences most feared defenders roaming the defensive backfield. NFL scouts have certainly taken notice as well, as he is consistently ranked amongst the top safety prospects for the 2017 draft.

But even with his accolades on the field, Conner realizes that he cannot simply rely on his actions to speak for him. With all of the youth surrounding him on defense, he has learned that he must be more vocal with his teammates than he has been in previous years.

cCoach Freeze is always talking about communication,d Conner commented. cIf we get out there and dont communicate at all, we really wont get anything done. When we go out there and talk, we do everything the right way then. When we dont communicate, thats when we give up the big, explosive plays.d

Ole Miss ability to recruit at a high level has certainly paid dividends for the program in recent seasons.

It has also, though, led to annual expectations being increased significantly in Oxford.

Despite the immense collection of talent which parted ways for the NFL following the 2015 campaign, folks around the SEC and across the country are still projecting big things out of the Rebels this fall.

In order for those lofty projections to ultimately come to fruition, Conner must step up to the plate and provide both leadership and production for a relatively young Rebels defense.

All quotes are courtesy of Ole Miss Sports Information