Twenty-two Names to Know for the 2024 Ole Miss Season: No. 18 Trey Washington

OXFORD, Miss. – As we lead up to week one in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the kickoff of Ole Miss football’s 2024 season, The Rebel Walk team is highlighting one player each day for our ‘Ole Miss 22’ rankings. We’ll break down who they are, how they got here, and what we expect from each. Today, we take a look at the #18 player on our list, Trey Washington

It is a rare site in this transfer portal era of college football to see a player spend all four years at the same school. However, it was just a season ago when Trussville, Alabama native Trey Washington led the Ole Miss Rebel football team in tackles and then decided to take one ‘Last Dance’ in 2024. While Washington might not have been the most highly-touted prospect in the 2021 recruiting class according to recruiting sites, his skills were noticed by head coach Lane Kiffin who knew what he saw. Fast forward to the current weeks leading up to the highly-anticipated 2024 season, and Washington is considered a very valuable leader on the Landshark defense.

How did Trey Washington get to Ole Miss?

Coming out of Hewitt-Trussville High School in central Alabama, Washington was a 3-star-rated prospect, ranked 40th in the state of Alabama and 90th amongst defensive backs nationally. Washington was a two-time All-State player in the 7A division of Alabama football and also a two-sport athlete as he lettered in basketball as well.

All Glory to God! #HottyToddy💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/yg22adFSpW

— Trey Washington (@ht_trey1) July 14, 2020

On July 14th, 2021, Washington announced via X (then known as Twitter) his commitment to Lane Kiffin and the University of Mississippi. The future tackling machine graduated early, enrolling in the Spring of 2021 which allowed him to join the Rebel defense earlier than most. It was not long after when the safety made a lasting impression on Ole Miss coaches and teammates.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 is how you fire up the defense.@ht_trey1 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/GA02abCYyO

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 18, 2021

Career Outlook

Although Washington has plenty of achievements on the field, it is his work in the classroom that is not praised enough. The Rebel safety has been featured as Ole Miss Scholar of the Week multiple times, as well as earned multiple SEC Academic honor roll acknowledgements throughout his time at Ole Miss. Whether you watch the Alabama native play football or listen to him talk at the podium, you always feel like he deserves to be there.

On the gridiron, Washington has been surveying the back half of the Rebel defense since his arrival in 2021. As a freshman, the Rebel safety finished with 23 total tackles and one pass deflection. Heading into his sophomore season, Washington looked to break onto the scene for the Landshark defense. However, a transfer-filled 2022 roster put depth in that room and Washington would end up with another identical season to year one.

Arrival of Pete Golding: Current Rebel defensive coordinator Pete Golding arrived at Ole Miss in the spring of 2023, changing the landscape of the Ole Miss defense as a whole. One thing that stayed the same, though: Trey Washington’s grit. In 2023, he led the Rebels in total tackles with 83, 45 of those being solo along with three picks and two pass deflections.

#25 days out from Ole Miss football

Trey Washington days away. Trey was a third team All-SEC performer by College Football Network.

He also was a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week (1 CO-DPOTW) last season in games against Ga Tech and Vanderbilt.
pic.twitter.com/NCgZny816C

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) August 7, 2024

Washington’s junior campaign earned a Third Team All-SEC selection, raising the expectations for 2024 even more for the second-rated defender on Ole Miss’ roster last season. Washington graded second on Ole Miss’s roster as a tackler (85.0 per PFF) and as a coverage defender (78.1 per PFF).

Fall Camp ’24

There are plenty of upperclassmen and experienced athletes on the 2024 Ole Miss roster, but Washington is without a doubt considered a leader amongst those names. Again, it is not common to see a player spend all four years of their eligibility at the same destination and Washington has done just that.

As fall camp in Oxford rolls on, the senior safety continues to shine in his role. As a traditional, run-stopping defensive back, Washington should be the perfect safety valve behind a fierce Rebel front seven.

Amongst many new faces at the safety position for Ole Miss at fall camp this year, Washington is a returning stalwart who continues to stand out in his role. Also, with helmet communication being added to the college game, I would expect the senior safety to play a huge part in the learning process as the game continues to change.

The 2024 season 

Being a leader on a team with high preseason expectations cannot be an easy task. However, like I explained above, there is not a better person built for the situation than Trey Washington. Washington alongside John Saunders Jr., is one of a few returning starters from last year’s defensive group. With a locker room full of new faces and many other transfer defensive backs fighting for spots in the starting lineup, the fourth year Rebel looks to wear the invisible ‘C’ on his chest for one final season. His experience will be key in helping new members of the secondary such as Key Lawrence and Yam Banks get acclimated to Pete Golding’s defensive scheme.

The Chucky Mullins Courage award is given out to a defensive player on the Ole Miss roster every year in the weeks leading up to week one. The number 38 is gifted to the player and the award usually goes to upperclassmen who have been on the roster in prior seasons. I would expect the Rebel safety to definitely be in the conversation for the honor that is so beloved and respected in Oxford. Of course, there are many wonderful candidates for the award, but Washington is definitely one of them.

On August 31st, in just 18 short days from now, senior Trey Washington and his Rebel teammates will take the field for their 2024 season opener versus the Furman Paladins.

Hotty Toddy!