Ole Miss signed with EON Sports VR, makers of the SIDEKIQ simulator football software, this May, joining UCLA, Syracuse and Kansas as its only other Division-I users.

“In the old days, you’d give an actual written test,” Ole Miss offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dan Werner said. “I hope they know the plays by now. I want to know that they can go through the progressions and make decisions. I think it’ll help us a lot, give us an edge.”

But what has Werner so excited about the new technology is the fact that coaches are allowed to spent a very limited amount of time with players during the summer.

NCAA rules give on-field coaches eight hours per week during the summer to interact with players, with up to two of those hours available for “football-related meetings or film review” — or virtual reality time for Ole Miss.

“Our guys are basically getting practice reps with this,” Werner said. “He knows he has to read a free safety on one play, and if he rolls down, you hope his eyes go over here.

“If we do this 30 times throughout the summer, it’s like our quarterbacks almost get 30 extra practices. The kids can do it on their own, too.”

“If you’re watching film, you can rewind it a few times, think, then say, ‘Yeah, I think I throw it to the X there,'” Werner said. “Now, our quarterbacks have to make that decision like he’s on the field whenever we want.”

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