Ole Miss defensive lineman Jared Ivey looks forward to Peach Bowl, returning for another season: ‘Something big and historic is brewing here’
OXFORD, Miss. —Ole Miss senior defensive tackle Jared Ivey met with the media on Friday as the Rebels gear up for their matchup with No. 10 Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Saturday Dec. 30 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.
Ivey is returning home to Atlanta to play in Mercedes Benz Stadium.
“My initial reaction was my phone is about to blow up with 30,000 people asking for tickets,” Ivey said of hearing the Rebels’ destination. “Trying to get as many of them as possible. It’s going to be great playing back at home. I haven’t played there since I was at Georgia Tech and before that, when I was in high school multiple times,” he added.
“It’s going to be sweet playing in the Benz (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) again,” Ivey said.
Ivey finished the 2023 season with a total of 41 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss (team-high), with 5.5 sacks and four quarterback hurries. He also added a scoop-and-score against Tulane.
On Thanksgiving Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State to finish with its second 10-win regular season in three years.
“We knew that we deserved to play in one of these big bowl games. Now the focus has shifted from the season to deserving to win one. We had a pretty lackluster performance last year in our bowl game and we want to right those wrongs going into this next year.”
Ole Miss DL Jared Ivey
Next season, the Rebels’ defense will have Ivey and teammate JJ Pegues back on the field.
“That is my dawg (talking about Pegues),” he said. “One of those guys who took me in when I got here and he was new. He is kinda one of those guys that everybody gravitates towards and loves off the rip. It was great coming in with him and we have grown closer including the room over the last two years. Super excited to get back and go chase greatness next year with JJ.”
Ivey added that on the thought process of returning next season he felt like he left something out there on the table.
“It was a good season but as a team and my personal performance wasn’t where I liked it to be coming out,” Ivey said.
“It was a tough decision, but hearing that the guys that could’ve went (to the NFL) coming back as well and wanted to make a run, it was something I wanted to be a part of…. (NIL) is the elephant in the room, but more importantly, I wanted to run it back with the guys with all those great players. Something big and historic is brewing here.”
Jared Ivey on returning for another season
Next season, Ivey looks to make some improvements in his versatility and newer techniques. “Getting stronger at the point of attack,” he added. “All stuff that we will go handle in the offseason.”
Ivey and the Rebels will take the field on Saturday December 30 against Penn State at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.
Adam Brown
Adam Brown joins The Rebel Walk as the Managing Editor after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 11 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
