A Pair of Former Ole Miss Rebels Reunite in Seattle

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss football’s record-setting 2024 draft class has officially concluded its first NFL preseason as of Saturday August 23.

With that comes the inevitable cut to reach the NFL maximum of 53 roster members, and while some Rebels found their hopeful forever homes to start a flourishing career, some were left looking for the next opportunity to cross their path. As was the case for former Rebel linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr.

Pooh Paul to Seattle

Paul’s stint in Oxford was short but quite meaningful. In just one season, he led the team in tackles and brought a spark of leadership and energy for Ole Miss in a reformed defense, embracing defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s physical, spot-the-ball and fly mentality.

Paul’s team-leading 88 tackles (50 solo), as well as four pass deflections 3.5 sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery at the Mike position earned him a 5th round selection by the Los Angeles Chargers. Los Angeles even traded up 29 spots to take Paul.

Fast forward through the preseason, and Paul was surprisingly not selected to the Chargers’ 53-man roster as limited time in camp due to injury made it an uphill battle for him to make the roster.

After going unclaimed off waivers, Paul was quickly scooped up by the Seattle Seahawks for their practice squad on Wednesday, August 27. Adding a player from Los Angeles, one of Seattle’s top rivals, could help give better insight on how to attack the Rams when the Seahawks face them twice this year.

According to NFL rules, a player on an NFL practice squad can make the active 53-man roster either by being elevated to the game-day roster up to a certain limit (currently three times) and then being signed to a permanent contract, or by being signed directly by another NFL team. Practice squads serve as a development system, with players used for practice and as replacements, and can be promoted to the 53-man roster to fill in for injured players or other needs.

Reuniting with Jared Ivey

This acquisition reunites him with his former teammate in Oxford, defensive lineman Jared Ivey.

Ivey was highly regarded as one of the better players on the defensive side of the ball for this draft class; however, he went undrafted. The Seahawks quickly grabbed him as an undrafted free agent, and Rebel faithful knew what kind of player was heading to Seattle and that he would quickly prove himself, which he did.

Ivey showed out during camp, and again in the preseason games, totaling 15 total tackles and causing a constant threat to opponents’ backfields.

Those performance officially earned Ivey a spot on the Seattle roster, completing one of the toughest tasks in sport, going undrafted to a roster spot.

These former Rebels are now shifting into the final stages of fall camp as they finalize preparations for the kickoff of the NFL season.

Ivey and Paul will begin their NFL regular season journey on Sunday September 7, 2025 as the Seahawks host division rival San Fransisco 49ers.