If there's a team that recently struck gold in the transfer portal, it's Ole Miss football. Ahead of the looming season, a total of 25 transferees have decided to bring their talents to Mississippi, per the 247 Sports website. While there were notable departures from the team, the Rebels were still able to close the portal windows with one of the most formidable batches among all schools. In fact, 247 Sports even ranks Ole Miss as the top team in their transfer portal rankings.
Looking at the incoming players one by one, the Rebels have it all — wideouts, pass rushers, secondaries and QB protectors. Heck, the only thing that's missing is a quarterback itself. That won't be needed though, as Jaxon Dart will be calling the shots again for another season.
Many of these players are expected to get minutes on the field once the games begin in less than a month. Among them all, however, one player stands out, and he might very well be the most impactful transferee for the team: Walter Nolen.
More on Walter Nolen
A 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman, Nolen came out of high school as the number-one ranked prospect (nationwide) in the class of 2022. He spent his first two collegiate seasons at Texas A&M, where he immediately saw action under then-head coach Jimbo Fisher.
As a freshman, Nolen put up 29 combined tackles (17 solo) and 2.5 tackles for loss in 10 games. He upped his numbers the following year, going for 37 combined tackles (20 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks in 12 outings.
Once the portal's first window opened up back in December, Nolen decided to test the waters and was immediately labeled by many as the top player available. Nolen then committed to Ole Miss, completing a transition from one SEC school to another.
Looking at his strengths, Nolen boasts an overall mix of power, athleticism and explosiveness. His first-step quickness has been touched on by many analysts — a main trait that helps him outmaneuver his matchups for backfield entry. He also has the strength to sustain bull rushes, if he chooses. In addition, Nolen's quick, punchy hands allow for fluid execution of a variety of moves to overwhelm offensive linemen. Nolen also has good lateral agility, and his versatility allows him to be positioned either as an IOL or an edge rusher.
In other words, Lane Kiffin's squad just received a major boost on defense.
Ole Miss football's fruitful portal window
As mentioned earlier, Walter Nolen will be joining several other transferees who are predicted to make a splash come September. Lining up alongside him on the defensive line is Princely Umanmielen, an ex-Florida edge rusher who put up 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks last season. Another new face on the squad is wideout Juice Wells (Antwane Wells Jr.), an incoming third-year player from South Carolina. Injuries cut Wells' 2023 season short, but as a freshman in the year prior, he caught 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns.
On the offensive line, Ole Miss was able to garner the services of Gerquan Scott (guard, Southern Miss) and Diego Pounds (tackle, North Carolina). In the running back room, former LSU Tiger Logan Diggs will be entering the picture to help patch up the gaping hole that Quinshon Judkins' departure opened. Judkins — who had a 1,000-yard season with Ole Miss in 2023 — decided to move over to Ohio State during the portal window. Diggs will either play behind or split carries with Ulysses Bentley IV, the team's top returning RB.
Former Virginia Tech tight end Daequan Wright will also be an added weapon for Jaxon Dart. And furthermore, defensive pieces such as Trey Amos (CB, Alabama), Yam Banks (safety, South Alabama) and Chris Paul Jr. (linebacker, Arkansas) will be fortifying Pete Golding's defensive rotations.
Returning key players
As mentioned earlier, Jaxon Dart will be spearheading the offense once again. Last season, Dart threw for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns. Along with him, wide receivers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins will be running it back for another year. Harris was the team's top wideout last year, catching 54 passes for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. Watkins was also big for Ole Miss, tallying a total of 741 receiving yards. And to add, tight end Caden Prieskorn is also gearing up for another year with the Rebels.
On the defensive side, wideout stoppers such as Trey Washington and Jared Saunders Jr. will be leading the secondary rotation again. Jared Ivey also returns for another year of QB sacks. With Nolen and Umanmielen by his side, the team's juggernaut of a defensive line will be very entertaining to watch.
In 2023, Ole Miss football finished with an 11-2 overall record (6-2 in the SEC). Their only losses were at the hands of fellow in-conference rivals, Georgia and Alabama. They've put up winning records in the past three years, but somehow, the Rebels have yet to make an elusive CFP appearance. Can Ole Miss finally end the drought this 2024? With Walter Nolen and his fellow reinforcements suiting up, it's highly possible.
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