OXFORD — Though he’s trying to keep it as “business as usual” as he can, even junior defensive tackle J.J. Pegues has noticed Ole Miss teammate Jared Ivey had a slightly different look this week.
Ivey — a transfer junior defensive end from Georgia Tech — will travel back to Atlanta this weekend to play his former school in the Rebels’ (2-0) first road game of the 2022 campaign. Ivey was a four-star recruit in the 2020 class following his career at North Gwinnett High, where he had 20 sacks his senior season.
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Ivey started 13 games for the Yellow Jackets (1-1) over two years and had 40 total tackles, including seven for loss (1.5 sacks). He had nothing but good things to say about his former program when speaking with the media Tuesday.
“It was really just a personal decision (to transfer). No shade to those guys at all. I loved my time at Tech,” Ivey said. “Made unbelievable connections and relationships, but I just felt like I could find a better situation for myself somewhere else.”
But if nothing else, Pegues said he saw extra focus from his defensive line mate earlier this week.
“He’s really been quiet (about it), but more locked in than I’ve ever seen him,” Pegues said. “But he shows his goofy side now and then.”
Ivey’s hometown, Suwanee, Georgia, is about 45 minutes outside Atlanta. He admits he’s gotten more ticket requests than the four he’s allotted given how close the game is to home. There is also, of course, the added element of seeing and playing against former teammates.
“Obviously, going back home, playing in front of a whole bunch of friends and family, the old guys. I think it’ll be (a) super fun game,” Ivey said.
While it’s a trip home for Ivey, it’s the first road test of the season for an Ole Miss team that has a lot of new faces compared to a season ago. While Bobby Dodd Stadium won’t be as full as many SEC home fields will be — the Yellow Jackets had an announced 36,486 fans for their home opener against Western Carolina — road games are nonetheless a unique challenge. And Ivey is not expecting to have a major advantage in knowing the Yellow Jackets’ schematics; he is fairly confident they aren’t going to keep things the same.
No one understands the specific challenges Georgia Tech’s home field provides more than Ivey does. But it’s a challenge Ivey and his teammates are more than up to.
“I enjoyed being there. Loved it, man. Loved my guys. Had some die-hard fans that were really riding for us, and one of the coolest entrances in college football,” Ivey said. “So, I think we’re going to go there, just do what we do.”
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