JJ Pegues Discusses 'Blessing' of Oxford Community, Final Ole Miss Football Game

Ole Miss Rebels defensive tackle JJ Pegues is grateful for his hometown as he enters his final collegiate game.

Sep 14, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle JJ Pegues (89) against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In 2022, the Ole Miss Rebels gained what would become a special transfer into their program. Oxford native JJ Pegues officially announced himself as a Rebel on Jan. 18, 2022.

Pegues would go on to become one of the most popular Ole Miss players the program has ever seen.

Now, the defensive tackle (and short-yardage running back) is entering his final game as a Rebel when Ole Miss faces Duke in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Thursday. When Pegues was asked about his thoughts on how Oxford has accepted him into the program, he had nothing but love and modesty for the community.

“I definitely wouldn’t have thought that,” Pegues said after practice on Tuesday. “I just try to stay humble through the process. Everybody likes to call me the mayor and everything. That’s just a blessing” 

However, Pegues still has to make sure Ole Miss’ head is in the right spot. He is a leader on the roster after all, and with one game left on his docket, he wants to ensure that the Gator Bowl is a successful one for the Rebels.

“We always want to go out with a bang,” Pegues said. “Our main focus is to come out here and also have fun, but at the end of the day, it's a business trip to get the win.“

Pegues also spoke about how it is that the end of his collegiate career is coming to an end on Thursday, thanking all his coaches, specifically Pete Golding and Randall Joyner, giving them all the props multiple times throughout his press conference.

Joyner was also involved in a moment following Tuesday's practice that made it start to sink in for Pegues that this is his last ride in a Rebel uniform.

"It did today when Coach Joyner was talking to us and having everybody talk in the huddle about how much we appreciate the younger kids that are coming up," Pegues said. "We try to use each other not only on the field, but off the field as well to keep those connections around. I definitely felt it walking off the field."

“The Mayor of Oxford” is set to take the field one final time in an Ole Miss uniform this Thursday as the Rebels take on the Duke Blue Devils in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.