Lane Kiffin and his coaching staff have been building toward 2024 since he arrived in Oxford, Mississippi. The Rebels have their experienced quarterback, an elite wide receiver group, a deep running back room, and SEC athleticism up and down their defense.
But how do the “real” programs hang with the best of the best? They win in the trenches along the defensive front. As fall camp is ramping up, let’s take a look at the top trench players who could carry Ole Miss to the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff this fall.
Ole Miss Defensive Line and Edge
Projected Top Five Defensive Front
- Walter Nolen, DL
- Princely Umanmielen, EDGE
- JJ Pegues, DL
- Jared Ivey, DL
- Suntarine Perkins, EDGE
Walter Nolen transferred to Ole Miss this offseason from Texas A&M and will look to be the near every down disruptor along the interior of the Rebels’ defensive line this fall. The former five star defensive tackle can line up anywhere alone the defensive line and win as a pass rusher, demonstrated by his seven sacks a year ago. But where he’ll really come in handy is taking on double teams in the run game while still finding a way to win like he does on the play in the post below against Miami last year.
Princely Umanmielen will be the other important transfer up front for Ole Miss this fall. He posted a pass rush pressure rate over 18% last season which would have been good for top five in this past spring’s NFL Draft class. He’ll play the Buck role that puts his hand in the dirt on even front looks, then sprints off the edge in odd fronts.
Jared Ivey and JJ Pegues will shuffle in and out as the two run stuffing defensive tackles in heavy sets, but who can also bring enough juice as pass rushers here and there. Between them they quietly tallied double-digit sacks a year ago.
Suntarine Perkins–the team’s elite true sophomore hybrid edge and linebacker–will be the defense’s secret weapon. He’ll likely be a pass rush specialist many weeks, but his versatility, strength (especially since he’s added weight), and athleticism could allow him to play true defensive end and even off-ball linebacker when called upon. He’s going to be a fun chess piece to confuse offenses with this season.
Defensive Front Rotational Depth
- Akelo Stone, DL
- Zxavian Harris, DL
- Chris Hardie, EDGE
Ole Miss is incredibly deep up front now, so despite their significant contributions last year (both near 300 snaps), Akelo Stone and Zxavian Harris might not be asked to do much on a weekly basis against top teams. However, if anyone misses time with injury they both provide the talent, size, and experience that won’t create a huge drop off from the starters when they’re needed.
Chris Hardie, a transfer from Jacksonville State, is the true wild card of the Ole Miss defense this year. He’s extremely experienced with almost 2000 career snaps and has averaged over half a dozen sacks per season for the majority of his career. Hardie likely provides some edge rusher depth, but can also play a dirty work five-tech role if he’s asked to given his experience.
Elite Four True Freshman Defensive Line Prospects
- Kam Franklin
- William Echoles
- Jeffery Rush
- Kamron Beavers
Even after Ole Miss goes beyond eight-deep with their defensive front the talent is robust and the future looks bright. Lane Kiffin and the Rebels signed four elite four star defensive front prospects in the same recruiting class this spring!
Kam Franklin and Jeffery Rush likely play more defensive end than interior, but they’re both high pedigree elite recruits that already weight 260+ pounds coming out of high school. William Echoles and Kamron Beavers have experience playing both defensive and offensive line boasting 300+ pound frames heading into their true freshman seasons.
This quite possibly might be the best defensive front Ole Miss has ever seen in the history of their program. If they all reach their potential this fall the Rebels’ defensive front really could carry the team to the playoffs.
Be looking for more Ole Miss coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to check out the high upside Princely Umanmielen can bring off the edge as a pass rusher just check out his highlights from last season!
