A Look at the Current State of Ole Miss Football's 2025 Wide Receiver Room

The Ole Miss Rebels have a mix of new and old in 2025, but how will this team look come kickoff next season?

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) reacts after a first down catch during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels have one of the best wide receiver rooms in college football this season, but with some star power moving on, the Rebels have tapped into some young returners and added some firepower from the transfer portal in preparation for the 2025 season.

Ole Miss is set to lose key wideout options in Tre Harris, Juice Wells and Jordan Watkins. The Rebels will be calling for a lot of change in just one offseason, but they already have a strong core returning for next year.

Starting with Cayden Lee, the standout sophomore took over a big role early on in the season when Watkins was ruled out and recovering from an injury. In this time, Lee found a spot on this offense and even won over a key role, giving Ole Miss a spark of hope for the future. Lee finished the regular season with 49 catches, 817 yards and two touchdowns.

Lee was used in the slot mostly this year and had a knack for getting open on important plays as well as on third and fourth down. Despite not finding the end zone as much as some other guys this year, he still played a major role in Lane Kiffin’s offense.

Also returning is Ayden Williams who has been a part of the Rebels squad for the last two seasons but has not seen as much playing time as Lee. Williams is a former four-star recruit and one of the top prospects in Mississippi behind teammate Suntarine Perkins.

In Williams' action as a Rebel, he has hauled in seven receptions for 119 yards, showing some explosiveness as he averages 17 yards a catch. Standing at 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds, Williams could be a vital red zone threat this upcoming season, helping fill the roles for those who departed.

Ole Miss has also stayed true to its image of getting great players in the transfer portal, first bringing in De’Zhaun Stribling from Oklahoma State. Last season with the Cowboys, he broke out, going for 52 catches, 882 yards and six touchdowns as a vital piece of their offense. Stribling, like Williams, could be a great red zone and deep threat as he stands at 6-foot-2 and around 205 pounds.

Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. also brought in former Alabama wide receiver Caleb Odom. The former member of the Crimson Tide only brought in seven catches for 65 yards this season, but the potential is definitely there. He was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class, standing at a monster 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds.

If Odom finds his footing in SEC football, he could be a problem for defenses around the country.

The Rebels also gained a recent commitment from Deuce Alexander out of the transfer portal, a former playmaker for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. As a redshirt freshman, Alexander finished with 36 catches for 400 yards and two scores, averaging 11.1 yards per catch, and he is another young piece who could make a difference in the years ahead in Oxford.

While Ole Miss did not get the end of the season it was expecting (a College Football Playoff berth), this core group of wide receivers could pair very well with quarterback Austin Simons for a long time coming as the Rebels prepare for a long offseason and look to bounce back in 2025.