OXFORD – There weren’t a ton of difficult conversations to be had in recent weeks in regards to who would be available for Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl in early January. The 2024 Rebels were nearly unanimously all-in on one last ride together.
With the exception of junior linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr., head coach Lane Kiffin told reporters Tuesday he believed there would be no opt-outs for the Rebels (9-3, 5-3 SEC) in their matchup with Duke (9-3, 5-3 ACC) on Jan. 2. That includes players likely to be selected in the earlier rounds of the NFL Draft like defensive tackle Walter Nolen, defensive ends Princely Umanmielen and Jared Ivey, cornerback Trey Amos and quarterback Jaxson Dart.
“I think that really speaks volumes to a lot of things,” Kiffin said. “… It says a lot about the culture in that locker room, a lot about how they feel about each other. A number of those guys have very high draft grades, and they’re still playing.”
Nolen is projected to be the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in ESPN’s latest mock draft while Amos is the No. 4 available cornerback, Umanmielen the No. 7 outside linebacker, Ivey the No. 8 defensive end and Dart the No. 7 quarterback. Paul Jr. is ranked as the No. 5 off-ball linebacker and wide receiver Tre Harris is the No. 9 available receiver.
Defensive tackle J.J. Pegues, an Oxford native, is another player who wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to take the field with his teammates one last time. And he felt that same energy from his teammates before any conversations on the topic were had.
“We all want to leave this place better than how we found it,” Pegues said. “So, definitely for me, just … being from here, wearing the jersey one more time, representing Chucky Mullins with (No.) 38, is a big thing.”
Dart announced his decision to play in the Gator Bowl last week. Dart, who was named first-team All-SEC and is Ole Miss’ all-time leader in passing yards, total yards and wins by a starting quarterback, said he never had thoughts of missing the game and echoed Pegues’ sentiment that there weren’t many tough talks to be had.
“We know that the days are counting down and I know, especially for me, you just want to make the most of the time that you have with each other,” Dart said. “… I think we’re just having a lot of fun and really just trying to take in and live in the moment.”
De’Zhaun Stribling commits to Rebels
Former Oklahoma State wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling – a four-star transfer in 247Sports’ rankings who led the Cowboys with 882 receiving yards in 2024 – has committed to Ole Miss, according to On3’s Zach Berry.
Stribling has 2,153 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in his college career at Washington State and Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder was a three-star recruit in the 2021 class out of Kapolei High School in Hawaii.
The Rebels are set to return Cayden Lee (817 yards, two touchdowns) in 2025 but will lose a chunk of wide receiver production in the form of Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins and Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr., who combined for 2,277 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.
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