OXFORD — The writing on the shirt Walter Nolen wore under his practice jersey Monday afternoon told a big part of Ole Miss’ offseason story.
“Size matters.”
Nolen, a junior defensive tackle transfer from Texas A&M, was one of the top high school recruits in the 2022 class out of Powell High School in Tennessee. He spent two years with the Aggies before entering the transfer portal last December. He racked up 11 tackles for loss and five sacks at Texas A&M.
Nolen was one of the top players available this winter, ranking third overall among 247Sports’ transfer portal prospects. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder had no shortage of suitors on the open market given his combination of production and skillset. Among Ole Miss’ biggest priorities in shaping its 2024 roster was getting bigger, stronger and faster on both lines of scrimmage. The Rebels went 11-2 in 2023 and won the Peach Bowl, but a blowout loss at Georgia provided a glimpse into what the program’s next step looked like. Nolen fit that vision to a T.
For Nolen, the choice for his next college came down to more than just scheme fit. It was about environment, too. Nolen witnessed that chemistry first-hand in losses at the hands of the Rebels his first two college seasons. He wanted to be part of it.
“Playing against Ole Miss the past two years, just seeing the family orientation they have around here and how they support each other, even if things are going bad on the field, it just made me really open my eyes and see, ‘That’s the team I wanted to be at,’” Nolen said.
Nolen was a menace in his first action with the Rebels, racking up two tackles for loss over 20 total snaps against Furman, per Pro Football Focus. Nolen and former Florida edge rusher senior Princely Umanmielen were among the highest-rated players in the Rebels’ top-ranked transfer portal class. The additions of Nolen and Umanmielen, paired with the returns of seniors Jared Ivey and JJ Pegues, gave Ole Miss a defensive line that, on-paper, looked to be among the nation’s best. And while it was against an FCS foe, Saturday’s opener did nothing to dissuade such notions.
Ole Miss held the Paladins to 172 total yards, including just 26 on the ground. The Rebels had 16 tackles for loss, did not allow Furman into the red zone and surrendered eight total first downs.
“We take every week into our own hands. (The) only people that are going to stop us up front is us,” Nolen said. “And I wholeheartedly believe that. I feel like we have one of the best defensive lines — if not in the country, I know for sure in the SEC.”
Nolen said he gained a bit of weight this offseason — he was listed at 290 pounds last season with the Aggies and was listed at 325 as a recruit by 247Sports — which he says has helped elevate his game. He also noted that Pegues has been a “bigger brother” figure for him since he stepped on campus. Pegues, an Oxford native, began his career at Auburn before transferring to Ole Miss prior to the 2022 season.
Nolen was also asked whether he thought about this season in terms of his professional aspirations, given his eligibility for the 2025 NFL Draft. It isn’t something on his mind, he said.
“I feel like I’m still a little kid (football-wise) … (I’m) excited to be out there and play,” Nolen said. “So, I don’t really think about that too much.”
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