‘The Star of The Show:’ De’Zhaun Stribling Headlines Ole Miss Draft Class
The Ole Miss Rebels have some serious talent departing for the 2026 NFL Draft that takes place from April 23-25. One of the main names circulating in NFL draft rooms is that of former wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling.
NFL Network Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah held a media conference call on Tuesday afternoon, discussing prospects from across the country and where they could land.
During the call, he mentioned Stribling several times, offering high praise for the talented receiver.
“The more you kind of watched him, the more you like him. For me, at least, when you go through it, and you see a guy who catches everything, the play that got circulated, obviously, was the one against (Daylen) Everett, a corner who runs in the 4.3’s (forty yard dash), and you see him just absolutely pull away from him after catching a hitch, you’re kind of like, okay, that that’s a little different, that speed is real. But then the other thing that’s helped him through the process is meeting with teams. Teams I’ve talked to have been very impressed with just how football intelligent he is. Like, he is smart. He understands it. They feel like they can move him around to different spots.“
Daniel Jeremiah on De’Zhaun Stribling
Jeremiah went on to discuss other Ole Miss players, but kept Stribling as the headline of the class.
“Stribling is definitely the star of the show,” Jeremiah said.
The 6’2, 210-pound wide out is heading into the draft after one season in Oxford, where he began to separate as the team’s best pass catcher late in the year with his impressive speed and size. Stribling collected 55 receptions for 811 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Three of his six trips to the end zone came in the final two games of the regular season against Florida (2 touchdowns), and Mississippi State (1 touchdown), also finding the end zone for the third straight week in the Rebels’ home playoff game against Tulane.
While the touchdowns played a pivotal role in key moments, his ability to close out games — which he showcased against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl where he burned the defense deep to put Ole Miss into field goal range for the game-winning kick from Lucas Carneiro — is also appealing to NFL teams.
One possible fit for the Hawaiian native could pair him up with another Ole Miss alum in Pittsburgh, according to Jeremiah, who spoke about the possibility of Stribling coming on as a prospect on the Steelers’ watch list.
“The two guys who’ve got the most heat coming down the home stretch, Ted Hurst from Georgia State, and then also Stribling from Ole Miss. Both those guys are big, fast, productive players…both of those guys have got a lot of heat talking to folks around the league, and in Pittsburgh, I think you could see both those guys be a good match.”Â
Daniel JeremiahÂ
The draft is less than ten days away, but Ole Miss could be well-represented once again on the tail end of another strong season out of Oxford.
Billy Kuhl
Billy Kuhl joins The Rebel Walk as a sophomore at Ole Miss majoring in Journalism with a Sports Media concentration. He is from Jefferson Township, New Jersey and graduated from Jefferson Township High School where he played varsity baseball, and soccer, and swam competitively in his summers. You can contact him at wpkuhl88@gmail.com or DM him on X @Billykuhll or instagram @Billykuhll_
