Former Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson led a group of players from the Magnolia State who heard their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Stribling was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the first pick in the second round (33rd overall) on Friday, making him the seventh Ole Miss wide receiver drafted since 2019. Stribling, who finished his lone season with the Rebels with 55 catches for 811 yards and six receiving touchdowns, was one of star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ top targets down the stretch. He finished his college career with 216 catches, 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns, and ran a 4.36 second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. The 49ers (12-5) advanced to the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs a season ago.
Thompson, selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round, became the first Bulldog receiver to be drafted since Eric Moulds in 1996. The Spearman, Texas, native wowed at the NFL Combine with an event-best 40-yard dash time of 4.26 seconds. In his single year at Mississippi State, Thompson set the State single-season receiving record with 1,054 yards—making him the first Bulldog ever to lead the Southeastern Conference in receiving yardage. He finished his collegiate career with 84 receptions for 1,557 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Ole Miss’ Jayden Williams was drafted in the seventh round (217th overall) by the Arizona Cardinals, who went 3-14 last season. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound offensive tackle started 34 games for the Rebels and allowed just two sacks in 2025. The Rebels’ two draft picks (Stribling and Williams) are the fewest for the program since having zero selections in 2020.
MSU’s Seydou Traore was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round, Traore made history as the first player ever to be drafted via the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. The London, England, native played tight end for the Bulldogs, totaling 69 receptions for 728 yards and six scores over the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Traore began his career at Arkansas State and amassed 131 receptions, 1,482 yards, and 10 touchdowns during his collegiate career.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal’s Michael Katz contributed to this report.
Philip Poe is sports editor.
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