JJ Pegues discusses the importance of a win in the Peach Bowl: ‘It’s an opportunity to make history at Ole Miss’
ATLANTA — Oxford native and Ole Miss defensive lineman JJ Pegues recently announced he would return to the Rebels in 2024 to use his final year of eligibility, despite having a clear shot at getting drafted into the NFL.
While several players have yet to make a decision on whether they will declare for the draft or return next season, almost all of the Rebels have decided to play in the Peach Bowl, with the exception of senior edge rusher Cedric Johnson.
Penn State is also losing its starting edge, Chop Robinson, who declared for the NFL draft a couple of weeks ago.
JJ explained that from the perspective of Ole Miss, this game has much more significance than it may seem on the surface, resulting in high attendance from the majority of their players.
“For us, it’s an opportunity to make history at Ole Miss and win 11 games. So I feel like just that by itself, people really want to buy in and do this for the city, for Oxford, and do it for Ole Miss.”
JJ Pegues
Taking a look at Penn State’s offense, Pegues made specific mention of running back Kaytron Allen, who is averaging just over five yards per carry.
When JJ explained what makes the sophomore such a dangerous runner, he went as far as drawing a comparison to a notable NFL halfback.
“He reminds me of Kenneth Walker, like not really the tallest, but just stocky and going to run for an extra three, four yards after contact. And it just makes it seem like we’ve got to wrap up, wrap, and squeeze, and just run our feet and try to get negative gains as they run the ball.”
JJ Pegues on Penn State RB Kaytron Allen
JJ continued to show his respect for the Penn State offense by complimenting the play style of quarterback Drew Allar, specifically his arm strength, ability to run, awareness, size, and overall intelligence in the game.
Despite having the skills of an NFL quarterback, Allar only threw for over 300 yards in one game against West Virginia while throwing for under 100 yards in two games this season. There is no doubt the gunslinger has struggled to perform in 2023, resulting in a heavy reliance on the run game.
Pegues had this to say when asked about preventing Penn State from finding success.
“We really just need to stop the run, basically. When you stop the run, we control the game. Then they have to play one-dimensional and pass. That’s what we have to do.”
Rebel fans, leading up to kickoff at 11 a.m. this Saturday, be sure to stay tuned with The Rebel Walk for all of your Peach Bowl content and more. Hotty Toddy!
Zach Moreth
Zach is a freshman at Ole Miss and is studying Sports Administration. Outside of watching and playing sports, he enjoys spending time with his loved ones and being active. I’m excited to help cover our amazing Ole Miss sports teams!
