All-American Walter Nolen Ready For 'One Last Ride' With Ole Miss Football

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Walter Nolen is excited to take the field with his team one final time in January.

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Walter Nolen (2) and linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) reacts after a tackle during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

This season brings a first for defensive lineman Walter Nolen: he gets to play in a bowl game.

That was a big factor in the first-year Ole Miss Rebel deciding to suit up with his team in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2, even after being named a consensus All-American and eyeing a first round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

"Really, it was the fact that I've never played in a bowl game," Nolen said in a press conference on Friday, "and I felt like this would be a fun experience, especially with the group of guys that we've got. I just wanted to enjoy one last ride with my guys."

The College Football Playoff was obviously the goal for Ole Miss this season, but even when falling short of that, Nolen takes pride in where the team ended up.

"Obviously, we wanted the bigger games," Nolen said, "but I feel like any time you get a chance to play in a bowl game or any game going towards January, it's special because not a lot of teams are playing anymore. I've just got to take the opportunity and run with it."

After the Gator Bowl concludes, Nolen's focus will shift to the NFL Draft process. He has already garnered a lot of hype for his professional future, currently holding a mid-first round grade, according to NFL Draft Buzz.

It could be easy to get distracted by all this outside noise paired with his All-America selections, but Nolen claims that he is able to remain focused on the task at hand.

"As a football player in today's age, I feel like you're supposed to take every day with a grain of salt," Nolen said. "You could be here, or you couldn't. You've just got to take the blessing every day. Every day is a blessing to be in the facility."

Nolen is one of a host of transfers on Ole Miss' roster, and the Rebels are already making more moves in the portal during this December window. Although the star defensive tackle has only spent one year in Oxford, what would his pitch be to portal players who are considering joining Ole Miss for next season?

"You've got to come see it," Nolen said. "A lot of people on the outside might talk down on Ole Miss or think Ole Miss doesn't have a lot of things going on, but once you get here and see everybody in the building and see the way the team works, you can see that Ole Miss is a program on the rise. They will be for a minute."

Nolen's final game as a Rebel will come in the Gator Bowl against Duke on Jan. 2. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.