Lineman Jayden Williams Looks for Big Return in Fourth Season With Rebels

Ole Miss offensive tackle Jayden Williams speaks about his time as a Rebel and what he expects out of himself in a crucial junior season.

Sep 7, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels offensive linemen Jayden Williams (50) waits for the snap during the second half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss offensive tackle Jayden Williams has had quite the journey as an Ole Miss Rebel.

Williams was a member of the Class of 2021, committing to the Rebels as a four-star prospect, according to 247 Sports. After suffering an injury his true freshman year, Williams was redshirted and did not see any action.

This changed during his redshirt freshman season as Williams started all 13 games, earning SEC Academic Honor Roll and Athletic Director's honors.

But his sophomore season was a different story with Williams appearing in 11 games, playing a combined 342 snaps all season. This included the start at left tackle for the Rebels in the 2023 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl against No. 10 Penn State.

Now entering his fourth season with the team, he had plenty to reflect on during a press conference on Tuesday.

"Last year was quite a year for me. Life hit me, with my personal life and coming off of surgery, and the way I handled coaches changing," Williams said. "I really had to mature and grow up a little bit and get my mentals right to be able to come into this year and step it up."

Williams is undoubtedly a vital presence of the Rebels' offensive line, but he attributes his lackluster season last year to mental battles, both with his own physical recovery and personal matters.

"I don't know if you know, but I have a daughter. So being away from her, then coming off of surgery, it's a lot weighing down on me," Williams said. "Like I said, I had to mature, and I had to do it fast. Last year, me not being mature played into me not playing as much as I wanted to, or as well as I wanted to."

Despite the tough situation Williams found himself in last year, he did mature, and he now looks for a big season as he reestablishes himself as a key contributor on a talented Rebels front.

A big test awaits this Rebel line, as the team travels to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to take on Wake Forest on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on The CW.