Jared Ivey Heaps Praise On New Rebel DL Chris Hardie

The Ole Miss Rebels added multiple difference makers up front in the portal cycle in an attempt to shore up the front seven.

Dec 16, 2023; New Orleans, LA, USA; Jacksonville State Gamecocks defensive lineman Chris Hardie (91) talks to the media after the game against the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Jared Ivey was an electric player for Ole Miss Rebels defensive coordinator Pete Golding in 2023, racking up 5.5 sacks and provided a constant threat for the big play, like his scoop-and-score against Tulane. Now, he was able to brag about some new additions on the defensive line at SEC Media Days on Monday.

Chris Hardie made it to campus via the portal from Jacksonville State, and Ivey thinks that Hardie's experience and versatility in the game will be a big boost up front for the Rebels in 2024.

"He's played so many positions," Ivey said. "I think having a guy that has experience like that, no matter what conference it is and understands what it is like to win and make big plays can only add an advantage to a squad. Very excited to be on the field with Chris."

Ivey was also asked about the Georgia game last season, one that was a blowout in favor of the Bulldogs in Athens. Head coach Lane Kiffin has cited this loss as motivation for his team's attack of the transfer portal this offseason, and Ivey believes that Ole Miss can turn this negative into a positive down the road.

"Obviously, that wasn't a performance we thought was indicative of us as a team," Ivey said, "but I feel like having a next play mentality and just moving on and being better after that, I feel like that's where our head's at. We finished the season in a great way after taking a loss like that, and turning that into something great is a philosophy of our team."

This is a mentality that a veteran like Hardie should help boost in the locker room this season in Oxford. He is listed as a 6-foot-2, 270-pound edge rusher, but he could also see some snaps inside because of his athleticism and size.

Names like Ivey and Princely Umanmielen will grab the headlines, but Chris Hardie could turn into a weapon against both the run and pass games for Ole Miss in this critical 2024 season.