Portal Visitors: Ole Miss Set to Host Alabama DL Jordan Renaud, Oregon EDGE Blake Purchase

OXFORD, Miss. — After shoring up the offensive side of the ball earlier this week, Ole Miss is now turning its attention back to defense — and two Power Four front-seven defenders are emerging as names to watch.

Sources indicate the Rebels are expected to host Jordan Renaud, a defensive lineman from Alabama, and Blake Purchase, an EDGE defender from the Oregon Ducks, for transfer portal visits today. With the window nearing its close, both visits signal that Ole Miss is actively hunting depth — and upside — along the defensive front.

As of this writing, Ole Miss currently sits at No. 2 in the 2026 247Sports Transfer Portal Team Rankings and has already made noise with recent offensive additions. Now, head coach Pete Golding and his defensive staff are turning their attention to these two defensive linemen.

Jordan Renaud: Proven Depth from a Loaded Room

Renaud arrives from Tuscaloosa having spent three seasons in one of college football’s deepest defensive line rotations. He appeared in all 15 games this past season for Alabama, recording 18 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and multiple quarterback pressures. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, he played in 12 games and logged 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack after redshirting in 2023.

Alabama DL Jordan Renaud Has Announced He Will Enter The Transfer Portal

Renaud Has 32T, 27 Solo, 3 TFL, & 0.5 Sack Over The Past 2 Seasons For The Crimson Tide#GoCFB #CollegeFootball #RollTide #Alabama #CrimsonTide pic.twitter.com/DelWRa30dH

— CFB Nation 🏈 (@TheCFBNation) January 15, 2026

While his raw numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet, Renaud’s value lies in experience and trust. He played in 29 games during his Alabama career and even drew starts in high-leverage moments, including the SEC Championship Game against Georgia and Alabama’s College Football Playoff first-round matchup when injuries forced lineup adjustments.

A former four-star recruit out of Tyler Legacy High School in Texas, Renaud entered college as a highly regarded prospect and has developed behind elite competition. For Ole Miss, he would represent a plug-and-play depth piece with SEC seasoning — a necessity for a program aiming to play deep into December again.

Defensive line coach Randall Joyner has made a habit of finding contributors in the portal, and Renaud fits the profile of a player who can rotate, develop, and contribute immediately.

Blake Purchase: Untapped Upside off the Edge

Purchase, a former Oregon EDGE defender, entered the portal after spending multiple seasons in Eugene, where he worked behind a loaded front that included high-profile names like Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei. Despite not being a headline producer in 2025, Purchase remained part of the Ducks’ regular front-seven rotation as Oregon pushed all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Blake Purchase almost ended Morton’s life pic.twitter.com/uN1Gy14GSr

— KBEZ23 (@Kbez23) January 1, 2026

This past season, Purchase totaled 13 tackles, two sacks, and an interception. But the appeal goes beyond one year of stats. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 245 pounds, Purchase has ideal SEC size and has appeared in 35 games for Oregon while preserving a redshirt year.

For Ole Miss, Purchase would represent developmental upside — a player who has faced elite competition, understands rotational roles, and could grow into a larger workload within a defense that values versatility and depth off the edge.

The big picture

Ole Miss is set to return Will Echoles, Kam Franklin, Jam Brown, Princewill Umanmielen, and potentially Dashawn Womack, while also adding portal pieces like Michai Boireau, Jehiem Oatis, and Jonathan Maldonado. Even with that group, depth remains critical — especially for a team with postseason expectations.

It’s still unclear how far down the road Ole Miss is with either Renaud or Purchase, but late-window visits usually mean conversations are serious. If numbers align and deals can be finalized, there’s a realistic path for one — or even both — defenders to end up in Oxford.