Select Page

Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee and TJ Dottery set to join Lane Kiffin at SEC Media Days

Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee and TJ Dottery set to join Lane Kiffin at SEC Media Days

OXFORD, Miss. — SEC Football Media Days are returning to the city of Atlanta from July 14th to 17th, and that means football season is inching closer! Head coach Lane Kiffin and three Rebels who were announced on Tuesday will make their appearances on Monday, July 14. at 12:30 PM CT.

Head Coach Lane Kiffin will take the stage and sophomore QB Austin Simmons, junior WR Cayden Lee, and junior LB TJ Dottery will be the players representing Ole Miss.

Here are all the athletes who will be in Atlanta for this year’s media days. 

Alabama
Tim Keenan III, DL, Senior
Deontae Lawson, LB, Senior
Kadyn Proctor, OL, Junior

Arkansas
Cam Ball, DL, Senior
Taylen Green, QB, Senior
Xavian Sorey Jr., LB, Senior
 
Auburn
Jackson Arnold, QB, Junior
Keldric Faulk, DL, Junior
Connor Lew, OL, Junior

Florida
Caleb Banks, DL, Senior
Jake Slaughter, OL, Senior
DJ Lagway, QB, Sophomore

Georgia
CJ Allen, LB, Junior
Daylen Everette, DB, Senior
Gunner Stockton, QB, Junior
 
Kentucky
Alex Afari Jr., LB, Senior
Jordan Lovett, DB, Senior
Josh Kattus, TE, Senior

LSU
Chris Hilton Jr., WR, Senior
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, Senior
Whit Weeks, LB, Junior

Mississippi State
Blake Shapen, QB, QB, Graduate
Isaac Smith, S, Junior
Brenen Thompson, WR, Senior

Missouri
Daylan Carnell, S, Graduate
Connor Tollison, C, Graduate
Zion Young, DE, Senior

Oklahoma
John Mateer, QB, Junior
Robert Spears-Jennings, DB, Senior
R Mason Thomas, DL, Senior

South Carolina
LaNorris Sellers, QB, Sophomore
DQ Smith, DB, Senior
Nick Barrett, DT, Senior

Tennessee
Arion Carter, LB, Junior
Miles Kitselman, TE, Senior
Bryson Eason, DT, Senior

Texas
Anthony Hill Jr, LB, Junior
Arch Manning, QB, Sophomore
Michael Taaffe, DB, Senior

Texas A&M
Will Lee III, DB, Senior
Ar’maj Reed-Adams, OL, Graduate
Taurean York, LB, Junior

Vanderbilt
Randon Fontenette, S/OLB, Junior
Martel Hight, DB, Junior
Diego Pavia, QB, Graduate

Starting Monday, July 14 at 8 AM CT, the SEC Network will be your front-row seat to all the action with live broadcasts of the coaches – including Coach Kiffin.

So stay tuned to The Rebel Walk as we bring you all the highlights and stories from Atlanta, where legends are born and rivalries ignite. Let’s gear up for an unforgettable season of SEC football!

Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo

Herring-Olvedo 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.

About The Author

Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo

Herring-Olvedo 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.

Leave a Reply

Support Independent Journalism!

donatetoday

Support Independent Journalism!

Your donation helps us continue providing in-depth, independent coverage of Ole Miss athletics.

Get RW Updates