Reports: Nation’s No. 1 Overall Transfer Portal Player DL Walter Nolen Set to Visit Ole Miss on Friday
OXFORD, Miss. — Head coach Lane Kiffin is proving his mettle once again as the ‘Portal King,’ as multiple sources indicate Coach Kiffin and company are set to receive a visit from the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal, defensive lineman Walter Nolen. (Chad Simmons of On3 first reported this.)
On3’s Zach Berry is reporting Nolen will be in Oxford on Friday.
Texas A&M transfer defensive lineman Walter Nolen has a date locked in for his trip to Ole Miss. He will be in Oxford on Friday, per @Zach_Berry. https://t.co/5mrrUVcsUh pic.twitter.com/iBGrwxkSpq
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 13, 2023
🚨NEWS: Texas A&M DL transfer Walter Nolen will visit Ole Miss this week, @ChadSimmons_ confirms👀
Nolen visited Oregon over the weekend. https://t.co/mDpvOD1SNP pic.twitter.com/4PRVew8qDF
— On3 (@On3sports) December 11, 2023
Nolen’s visit comes on the heels of the Rebels already landing the No. 1 JUCO wide receiver in Deion Smith, the No. 1 transfer portal linebacker in Chris Paul, and the No. 4-ranked transfer portal cornerback in Taz Nicholson.
High School Standout
Coming out of high school, Nolen was one of the most coveted 5-star recruits of the class of 2022. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder ranked as the No. 2 overall athlete, No.1 defensive lineman and No. 1 prospect out of Tennessee. He played at three high schools during his career before heading to College Station to play for the Aggies and Jimbo Fisher.
(Click here for our TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER to stay updated on all the Rebels’ comings and goings!)
As a high school freshman and sophomore, Nolen played for Olive Branch (Miss). He helped them finish 9-4 and reach a Mississippi 6A 2nd-round playoff appearance during his sophomore season. He later spent his junior season at Saint Benedict in Memphis before closing out his high school career at Powell in Powell, Tennessee. There, the Tennessee Player of the Year helped lead the Panthers to a 13-2 record along with their first 5A Tennessee State Championship. He tallied 83 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, 27 quarterback hurries, and six forced fumbles.
The #Aggies have a scary combination on the way, Travis Hunter was more effective on defense, future #Mizzou stars impress and more. @RivalsFriedman shares what we learned Saturday at the Under Armour All-America Game. https://t.co/CyW3ghhPSZ pic.twitter.com/AtGH5dB3Ma
— Rivals (@Rivals) January 2, 2022
It’s a sack party in the 4Q. Another big play by @WalterNolen4 pic.twitter.com/S8bRTkbiOX
— C. John Chavis (@CJohnChavis) December 4, 2021
In Aggieland
After two seasons with the Aggies in College Station and the recent firing of head coach Jimbo Fisher, Nolen decided to reevaluate his options. He is currently ranked the No. 1 defensive lineman available in the portal — and is also the No.1 overall athlete in the portal.
He quickly became a force in Aggieland. As a true freshman in 2022, Nolen recorded 29 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and one sack across 10 games. In 2023 he saw action in 12 games where he tallied 37 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks.
Transfer to the ‘Sip?
Despite the plethora of suitors across the country who would love to sign Nolen — including the abovementioned Oregon as well as Texas and Alabama, to name a few, the Rebels will have their chance to show the young man why so many are choosing to ‘transfer to the ‘Sip.’
After spending time at Oregon with head coach Dan Lanning this past weekend, Nolen is set to visit Ole Miss. This visit is huge, and it is a great opportunity for Nolen to return to the state where it all began for him. Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for updates as they happen!
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann serves as the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
