OXFORD – Ole Miss senior offensive lineman Jayden Williams’ career has had more than its fair share of twists and turns.
Williams, the 6-foot-4, 315-pounder from Conway, Arkansas, came to Ole Miss as part of the 2021 signing class. He has started 19 games in his career over four seasons, but it hasn’t been that straight forward. He was a freshman All-American and was benched the very next season. He came back last season and was one of Pro Football Focus’ top-graded linemen before suffering an injury that limited him to two games the rest of the year.
But Williams remains optimistic 2025 can be his best year yet.
“It’s roller coasters all the time for me it seems like,” Williams said with a chuckle. “So for me this year, hopefully it’s no problems, I’m healthy and can make it through the season and leave it all out there for the first time since ’22.”
Williams did not play in any games his first season with the Rebels due to injury and was redshirted. He came back in 2022 as the team’s starting left tackle in all 13 games for the 8-5 Rebels. The Rebels added offensive linemen through the transfer portal that offseason, however, and Williams was replaced in the starting lineup by former Washington lineman Victor Curne for the majority of the season. Williams started against Georgia and in the Peach Bowl against Penn State but logged just 285 total snaps compared to 979 the season before, according to PFF.
Rather than transfer out of frustration, Williams took a more introspective approach. He realized he was the reason he lost playing time, not anyone else. Because of that, he knew he still had more to give to Ole Miss and was able to “reinvent” himself as a consistent, hard worker.
“You sit and you reflect and you think about all the things that you could have done better, and you rewatch some of the tape and just be like, ‘I really just didn’t, I didn’t improve,’” Williams said. “I wasn’t consistent in that time either. So, it’s kind of on me.
“You can’t just keep pointing the finger at somebody. You have to realize, at some point, you have to look at yourself in the mirror. … (There) was no point in me leaving, because I knew I could play here.”
Williams returned to the starting lineup as the Rebels’ left tackle in 2024 and started the first four games of the season. He held an 82.9 grade by PFF over the first two games of the season and gave up just one hurry and did not allow a sack in four contests. But Williams was injured prior to SEC play and missed the next six games before returning in a backup role against Florida and Mississippi State.
“That’s what we’re here for, that’s what we love to do (is play SEC games),” Williams said. “And then not being able to come back to even give it a shot like I wanted to – I think that was the hardest bit for me to swallow.”
Williams is one of the few returners on the offensive line with starting experience at Ole Miss, joining fellow tackle Diego Pounds, who started nine games a season ago. Four of the five offensive line starters from the Gator Bowl are gone, as are experienced players like Eli Acker and Caleb Warren. Entering his final college season, how quickly time has passed.
“I try to tell the young guys that all the time. It flies by,” Williams said. “ … For four years, the same people were here, too. Jeremy James, Caleb Warren, Eli, Reece (McIntyre), all those guys (were) here, too. So seeing them gone, it’s kind of like, dang, I’m really the last one.”
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