OXFORD — Cayden Lee says he’s confident he will get his chances. It’s just a matter of when.
Lee, a sophomore wide receiver from Kennesaw, Georgia, fought his way through a veteran-laden receiver room as a first-year player and saw substantial playing time, seeing action in 10 games. He finished with five catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns — the two scoring grabs coming on his first two collegiate receptions. He made his first-career start in the Rebels’ Peach Bowl win over Penn State, logging three catches for 29 yards.
Lee was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder said he didn’t know he would be starting the Peach Bowl until a day or two before the game, as Jordan Watkins was battling a broken hand and was unsure of how much he would be able to play.
“When they told me I was going to start, I was really excited for the opportunity and just went in and did what I could do,” Lee said. “And I feel like I did a pretty good job.”
Lee, who switched from No. 83 to No. 19 this offseason, once again finds himself part of a deep wide receiver corps. The Rebels return seniors Tre Harris and Watkins — who had 985 yards and 741 yards in 2023, respectively — as well as senior tight end Caden Prieskorn, a second-team All-SEC selection. Former South Carolina wide receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. transferred to Ole Miss this offseason as well; Wells was an All-SEC selection in 2022 with the Gamecocks after catching 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns but missed most of last season with a foot injury.
Add in fellow sophomore Ayden Williams — a top-tier recruit himself in 2023 — highly-touted freshman Noreel White and handful of other young players, and Lee figures to be battling for his share of playing time in 2024 as well. But he’s OK with that. He is willing to do whatever he has to in order to help the Rebels achieve their lofty goals. Lee told reporters he has been working both inside at slot and outside on the perimeter this spring to find where he best fits in the grand scheme of things.
Lee is learning from some of the top receivers in the country and touted his relationships with head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. as reasons he is willing to wait his turn. He also noted the productivity of Ole Miss’ receivers as proof of Kiffin’s and Weis’ concept.
“With this day and age in college football, whether you’re here or halfway across the country, everybody has the transfer portal. It’s just how you deal with it the best,” Lee said. “It’s all about just learning and just developing and being more of a complete player. The moment’s going to shine for everybody at some point. You just have to wait your turn and just see when that moment is there, and when the opportunity presents itself, you have to be ready.”
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