Twenty-Two Names to Know for the Ole Miss Season: No. 8 Jared Ivey
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 look at the No. 8 player on the list, Defensive End, Jared Ivey.
Ivey will be the starting edger rusher for Ole Miss this fall, looking to boost his NFL Draft stock while pursuing a national championship with his teammates.
We are 15 days away from Ole Miss football!
That’s Jared Ivey days away. He is an NFL-bodied pass rusher w/ impressive length who converts speed to power.
Defensive MVP of Peach Bowl. Take a look back to when a forced fumble sealed the win against UK.
pic.twitter.com/xLnfdRxkOM pic.twitter.com/hSTuFk3PSz— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) August 16, 2024
How did Jared Ivey get to Ole Miss?
Coming out of the 2020 recruiting class, Jared Ivey played high school football at North Gwinnett in Suwanee, Georgia, an hour outside of Atlanta. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a 4-star prospect and the No. 15 weakside defensive end and No. 33 overall athlete in the state in his recruiting class. He was recruited by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, where he became a crucial part of their defense throughout his two years there.
He was ranked as one of the top 30 recruits in Georgia Tech history by 247Sports. The dual-sport athlete also received scholarship offers to play Division I college basketball.
When Ivey decided to transfer from Georgia Tech going into the 2022 season, it wasn’t long before the portal king, Lane Kiffin, established a relationship with him and received a commitment from the big man.
#ComeToTheSip 🦈 @Lane_Kiffin pic.twitter.com/b7FsihLb7M
— JI5 (@jared_ivey1595) January 30, 2022
Jared talked about the culture at Ole Miss and transferring to the Rebels.
Jared Ivey on being a transfer here: “I think it just speaks to the culture the guys already had here and they took us in and showed us how things were supposed to be. Very thankful for Coach Joyner and Coach Kiffin.”
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) December 30, 2023
Career Outlook
During his time with Georgia Tech, Ivey settled in as a freshman and was used in a rotational role, notching eight total tackles on the year.
Heading into year two at Georgia Tech, Jared elevated his game to a whole new level, tallying 32 total tackles, forcing a fumble, deflecting a pass, and collecting 1.5 sacks. Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 285 pounds, it was clear that Ivey was ready for SEC football.
In Oxford: Since the second he arrived in Oxford, Jared’s presence on the field has made a significant impact on the Ole Miss defense. In 2022, he played in all 13 games, making seven starts on the defensive line that first season and totaling 562 snaps on the defensive line. He tallied 37 total tackles, including 15 solo, and notched 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble
Then, last season in 2023, the Peach Bowl Defensive MVP played in all 13 games, making 12 starts as a key member of Ole Miss’ defensive line. Ivey led the Rebels with 11.5 TFL and tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. He tallied career-highs in tackles (46), TFL and sacks, adding two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup, returning one of his fumble recoveries 26 yards for a touchdown against Tulane — forever known as the “Thick Six.”
Peach Bowl Defensive MVP: Most recently, against Penn State in the Peach Bowl, Ivey closed out the year with a bang, accumulating five tackles and recovering a fumble for the Rebs as he was honored for his performance with Defensive MVP Honors.
Defensive MVP 🍑🏆@jared_ivey1595 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/gG48bxpfOv
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 30, 2023
Here’s a look at some of his key plays that helped Ole Miss destroy Penn State. In this first clip, Ivey pressures Penn State QB Drew Allar and forces the fluttering duck pass. It was just the second interception Allar threw all season.
Quack quack 🦆@daijahn5 | ESPN pic.twitter.com/pDqII59imr
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 30, 2023
Here, Ivey recovers a fumble, forced by Akelo Stone, to seal the game.
OUR BALL 😁
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/QR0fOpXheG
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 30, 2023
From all the above, it’s clear that Ivey’s skills, versatility and leadership will be dynamic for the Ole Miss defensive line this fall.
Heading into 2024
Ole Miss fans were certainly joyous when Ivey announced he would be returning for a “Last Dance” season in 2024.
Run it back.#hottytoddy pic.twitter.com/LxuGJ0krAZ
— JI5 (@jared_ivey1595) December 12, 2023
Ivey will be playing on a defensive line this season that contains several ambitious and experienced future NFL players, such as Princely Umanmielen, JJ Pegues, Walter Nolen, Akelo Stone, and many others. His steady, cerebral play and leadership will be important as the new and returning players continue to gel.
Ivey has been practicing against an Ole Miss offensive line that’s greatly improved since last season. Between the competition he’s facing in daily practice and the upgrade in players he’ll be with on the defensive line, look for Ivey to have an incredible final season in Oxford.
Fans should have zero doubts that No. 15 will be a force to be reckoned with off the edge.
Next Up
The Rebel Walk will be back with more practice and press conference coverage this Monday. Stay tuned for more! Hotty Toddy.
