Gator Bowl: Meaningful opportunity for Ole Miss players closing out their Rebel careers
OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) After winning the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to conclude last season, Ole Miss started 2024 with College Football Playoff aspirations, and although the Rebels fell just short of that goal, they still have plenty to play for in the January 2 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Duke.
There are numerous NFL Draft prospects on the Ole Miss roster, but nearly all of the Rebels have elected to play in the Gator Bowl rather than ducking out early to prepare for the next level. Walter Nolen, Jared Ivey and Jordan Watkins spoke on Friday about the meaningful opportunity ahead.
First and Last Ride
Walter Nolen has been named the 14th consensus All-American in program history, and the star defensive tackle could be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. After he led the SEC with 12.0 tackles for loss in conference play, no one would’ve batted an eye if Nolen opted out.
Instead, he’s preparing for his first bowl game. Texas A&M went 5-7 and missed out on a bowl during Nolen’s freshman campaign, then he entered the transfer portal before the Aggies’ Texas Bowl loss to Oklahoma State last year.
“Really it was just the fact that I ain’t never played in a bowl game. I feel like this will be a fun experience, especially with the group of guys we’ve got. I just wanted to enjoy one last ride with my guys.“
Walter Nolen
Excited to Play
Jared Ivey knows the feeling, having experienced just six total wins, enduring 3-7 and 3-9 seasons at Georgia Tech, before coming to Ole Miss in 2022.
Now, Ivey is preparing for his third straight bowl trip, having helped Ole Miss to 28 wins and three bowl berths. Knowing what it’s like on the other side, Ivey isn’t taking this last opportunity for granted.
“It was like that for me my first year here. Coming from where I was at, we won six games in total while I was there my two years. Being on a contending team and to have that type of reward is overlooked by a lot of people. Super exciting and very ready to play.“
Jared Ivey
New Standard
Similarly, Jordan Watkins was part of that same 2022 transfer class, coming from a Louisville team that didn’t have a winning season in the two years he was on roster, posting 10 total wins in 2020 and 2021.
Now, Watkins is looking to help Ole Miss to a second consecutive 10-win season for just the second time in program history. In addition to one last game with their teammates, the exiting Rebels are also out to solidify their legacy in Oxford.
“It’s been awesome to be able to set the standard and tradition here a give the fans a reason to be excited for next season…Seeing how far the program has come the last three years has been awesome. I remember when I first got here, Kiffin told me we’re taking this program in a different direction, and it really has, and it’s been fun to see it come to life.”
Jordan Watkins
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
