Focused and Fired Up: Ole Miss TE Dae’Quan Wright Says Rebels Must ‘Make a Statement’ vs. The Citadel
OXFORD, Miss. — It’s the final stretch in the college football regular season as teams are honing in on their goals. Ole Miss, who came in at No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, has firm sights on one main goal — the playoffs — with three games remaining. Next up, The Citadel.
Rebels’ tight end Dae’Quan Wright has been a massive part of Lane Kiffin’s offense, making some crucial catches in big games. On the season, the tight end has notched 24 receptions for 436 yards and four touchdowns.
When asked earlier this week about the playoffs, Wright said he knows the job is not done. “We just got to stay focused,” he explained. “We can’t take any days off. We can’t hold back, we gotta just stay focused in line, and take one game at a time.”
While the passing game struggled a bit in the win over South Carolina last Saturday, Wright says he believes the team knows what needs to be done to get it back on track.
“I think as a whole, I mean, things happen, it’s life. Our biggest thing is we just have to start faster and come out with our foot on the gas.“
Dae’Quan Wright
Dae’Quan knows his team cannot afford to overlook anyone. He was emphatic when asked what Ole Miss needs to do Saturday against The Citadel.
“Just an ass whooping. We gotta make a statement,” he said.
“We can’t go out there and take them lightly just because of who they are or where they’re from or what league they play in. We just gotta go make a statement and let people know y’all don’t want to play us.“
Wright was also asked what he sees in The Citadel. “They’re well coached. I will give them that, they’re well coached,” he noted. “They have advantages and stuff, but we’ll show them they’re not supposed to be on the field with us.”
In the win over South Carolina, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss fell short of reaching 250 yards passing for the first time this season. Wright talked about his relationship with the signal caller and what his teammates need to do for him.
“It’s really big,” Wright said of his connection with Chambliss. “Just having him, keeping him poised and calm. Telling him ‘we got you.’ We really mean it when we tell him we got him.”
Next Up
Ole Miss and The Citadel are set for a noon CT kickoff this Saturday in Vaught-Hemingway.
Jordan Merritt
Jordan is a freelance writer who covers sports, games, and more. A United Kingdom native, he covers everything Ole Miss for The Rebel Walk. He has written for several publications, including Athlon Sports, On SI, Fansided, and others. Away from writing, he loves spending time with his family and watching films and TV series.
