Accountability Sparks Jaden Yates and the Ole Miss Defense
OXFORD, Miss. — After a pair of close games and a frustrating defensive showing the previous week against Arkansas, Ole Miss linebacker Jaden Yates and the Rebels’ defense had something to prove Saturday afternoon. And prove it they did – at least for the time being – in delivering what Yates described as their best defensive performance of the season in a 35 point win over Tulane.
“This was definitely our best performance. Obviously, what we put on tape last Saturday (vs. Arkansas)… we weren’t proud of it. We had to sit with that for a whole week, just thinking about it.”
Jaden Yates
For his efforts, Yates was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week Monday.
The Rebels entered into the matchup against the Green Wave with a renewed focus and intensity after being challenged by their coaching staff earlier in the week. According to Yates, that internal accountability lit a fire under the defensive unit.
“There was a play (against Arkansas) where I didn’t do my job — I was trying to do too much. As a competitor, that hits you. I had to look myself in the mirror and ask, ‘What more can I do to help our defense be successful?’”
Jaden Yates
Yates and the Rebels answered that question emphatically on the field, holding a Green Wave offense that had averaged 30 points per game up until Saturday’s matchup to only three before the game entered the “garbage time” stage.
A key theme throughout the week, Yates said, was simply: “Do your job.”
“When all 11 guys are doing their jobs — with the kind of athletes we have — I like our chances against anybody.“
Jaden Yates
That mindset paid off in multiple high-leverage moments. Ole Miss had a crucial fourth-down stop of Tulane that shifted momentum early and they never looked back, a theme that’s become increasingly common for the Rebels.
“It’s been a big point of emphasis,” Yates said of their fourth-down defense. “We practice those scenarios — goal-line stands, red zone stops. When it’s fourth and short, our mindset is: we’re getting off the field.”
Yates also acknowledged that recent matchups against dual-threat quarterbacks like Arkansas’s Taylen Green helped sharpen the defense’s execution and communication heading into the Tulane game.
“There were some growing pains last week. But going against two great quarterbacks back-to-back really challenged us. We had to clean up the missed assignments, the communication breakdowns. This week, we did that.”
Jaden Yates
In addition to their defensive success, Yates praised the team’s ability to rally around the quarterback, whether that’s Austin Simmons or Trinidad Chambliss — a necessity in the wake of injuries and lineup shifts over the last two weeks.
“Not a lot of teams can say they’ve got two guys who can step in and put up video game numbers,” he said. “There shouldn’t be any controversy. That’s a blessing.”
Now, with a massive Magnolia Bowl showdown in five days, Yates stressed the importance of resetting — even after a dominant win.
“Celebrate for 24 hours, then it’s back to work,” he said. “It’s a long season. You can’t hang on one game — good or bad — for too long.”
Still, the way Ole Miss put Tulane away — effectively ending the game by the third quarter — gives the unit plenty of momentum.
“Being able to win in a variety of ways is big,” Yates said. “We’ve had close games, and we’ve had games like this. A win is a win, no matter how it comes. But this one… this one felt good.”
Next Up
Ole Miss faces off against arch-rival LSU on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
Jacob Quaglino
Jacob is a New Orleans, LA native and Ole Miss alumni, Class of 2024 and staff writer with The Rebel Walk. He has been a diehard fan of all Ole Miss sports his entire life, with his earliest Ole Miss sports memory being the Rebels' iconic 2008 upset of then-No. 4 Florida. Among his other favorite Rebel sports memories are storming the field after beating LSU in 2023 and Georgia in 2024, watching the Rebels upset Alabama in back to back years in 2014-15, seeing the women's golf team win the school's first-ever NCAA-recognized national championship in 2021, and watching the Rebel baseball team win the College World Series in 2022. He remains exceedingly hopeful that the Ole Miss Athletics Department's national championship trophy collection will grow in the coming years. Outside of The Rebel Walk, Jacob also works for a local radio news station and has many interests and hobbies, including reading, writing, watching college sports, playing pickleball, and traveling.
