Competitive eating legend Joey Chestnut on Ole Miss football experience
Here’s what legendary competitive eater Joey Chestnut had to say about his time with Ole Miss football.
OXFORD ― The 2024 NFL Draft was a quiet one for Ole Miss football.
The 2025 draft should be anything but.
The Rebels retained most of their top upperclassmen as they look to make a run at a College Football Playoff appearance next season. With many members of that crop set to exhaust their collegiate eligibility, next year’s draft could be special – perhaps even record-breaking.
Ole Miss sent nine players to the professional ranks in 1971 and 1968, back when there were 17 rounds and over 450 players taken.
Here’s a look at the Rebels who could be selected in 2025.
Dart likely could have opted for the 2024 NFL Draft and heard his name called in the mid-to-late rounds. Instead, he returned to the Rebels, and if things go the way he wants in 2024, he’ll be one of the top quarterback prospects in the next cycle.
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A 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman with top-level athleticism, Nolen should be a first-round candidate if he performs well this season. He’ll be among the names on this list with a decision to make, holding college eligibility for 2025.
Umanmielen broke out in 2023 with seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. At 6-5, 255 pounds, the native Texan probably could have tested the NFL waters. Instead, he has a chance to build off those numbers in 2024 within what looks like a special Ole Miss defensive front.
Ivey is versatile, athletic and intelligent. There’s a place for him at the next level. Where Ivey gets selected will depend on his production in his final season of eligibility. The 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss he posted last season should provide a nice baseline.
At points last season, Harris looked like the Rebels’ best player. With the size to make big plays down the field and the elusiveness to be effective in the short passing game, Harris should be one of the top wideouts in the SEC next season. The key for him will be staying healthy.
Wells has shown an ability to perform at an All-SEC level when healthy, but he’s struggled with injuries lately. If he can stay on the field and produce like he did in 2022, when he racked up 928 receiving yards, there should be no shortage of NFL interest.
Watkins’ production profile in 2023 was borderline NFL quality. He returned to the Rebels to give it one more go. Any improvement on the 741 yards he posted last season from the slot, while missing the better part of two games with an injury, would make it hard for NFL teams to stay away.
Prieskorn already looks like an NFL tight end, standing 6-5, 255 pounds. And his well-roundedness should appeal to pro scouts. After missing three games at the start of last season, his run-blocking impact was apparent upon his return, and he tore up Penn State for 136 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the Peach Bowl.
Pounds has eligibility remaining in 2025, so the NFL Draft won’t be his only option when the season concludes. He’s deserving of a spot on this list after a breakout 2023 campaign at UNC. Should he translate that to the SEC, there will be NFL teams after the 6-6, 330-pound junior.
Pegues’ value doesn’t always flash to the naked eye, but the Rebels considered him one of their more important players last season, in which he made 42 tackles and came away with 3.5 sacks. There should be room for Pegues’ 6-2, 315-pound frame and ample athleticism in the NFL.
There’s a reason countless power programs were after Amos before he ultimately chose to play for Nick Saban and Alabama last season. Now at Ole Miss, he’ll need to earn a starting spot and prove himself against the SEC’s best athletes after occupying a reserve role last season.
Buelow is 6-8, 315 pounds, and has the ability to play both tackle and guard. He needs to grade out better than he did at Washington last season, but lists like these were made for guys like him.
Pro Football Focus grades James’ performances in 2020 and 2021 higher than his two seasons as an upperclassman. The Rebels’ offensive line should be a more functional unit in 2024, giving James every chance to get back to his best.
Lawrence, a 6-1, 205-pound safety who previously played for Oklahoma and Tennessee, has one more chance to impress at the college level. He posted 44 tackles and came down with two interceptions at Oklahoma last year.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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