Defensive tackle Walter Nolen's first season with Ole Miss will end up being his last. Two weeks after the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, Nolen announced on Monday that he will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft on Instagram.

The announcement was not a surprise, as the junior is currently the fifth-best defensive tackle in the draft, according to ESPN. In his lone season with the Rebels, Nolen recorded career-high numbers across the board, including 6.5 sacks, which was top 10 in the country among all interior defensive linemen.

 

Nolen transferred to Ole Miss in the 2023 offseason after spending his first two seasons with Texas A&M, where he was initially committed as a five-star recruit. Former defensive line coach Elijah Robinson's departure to accept a position with Syracuse caused him to enter the transfer portal, where he was viewed as one of the top defensive players.

As a consistent force up front, Nolen notched several multi-sack games in 2024, including an eight-tackle, 1.5-sack game against Mississippi State. His dominance helped Ole Miss close out the regular season over their rival with a 26-14 win.

While still projected to be a potential first-round pick, Nolen is slightly lower on draft boards than he would be in other years due to the abundance of talent at his position. Michigan's Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, two of the top overall prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, lead the available defensive tackles. Graham is viewed by many as the No. 1 overall prospect of the draft.

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Walter Nolen still to play in Ole Miss' bowl game

Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Walter Nolen (2) and defensive end Princely Umanmielen (1) celebrate a sack against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

With his announcement, Nolen also confirmed that he would still play in the upcoming Taxslayer Gator Bowl. Ole Miss will conclude the 2024 season on Jan. 2, 2025, against Duke at the EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.

In his announcement post, Nolen noted that he is “fully committed to finishing the season strong with [his] brothers” and wants “nothing more than to take the field one last time.”

Ole Miss will enter the Gator Bowl ranked No. 14 against the unranked Blue Devils. While their 9-3 campaign will go down as one of the most successful in recent program history, the Rebels were just a few plays away from potentially making it to the College Football Playoffs. They were in prime position to do so down the stretch of the season before suffering a 24-17 upset loss to Florida.

Despite entering the game unranked, Duke will present a unique challenge to Ole Miss. The Blue Devils finished with an identical 9-3 record in Manny Diaz's first season as head coach. Two of their three losses came against ranked opposition, including a 28-27 overtime loss to eventual ACC runner-ups SMU.