'Night And Day Difference!' Ole Miss Kicker Caden Davis Talks Culture Shift From Texas A&M

The Ole Miss Rebels kicker sees a difference between Oxford and College Station.

Sep 23, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Mississippi Rebels place kicker Caden Davis (41) kicks a field goal against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the third quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Texas and Mississippi differ as states. They also differ in terms of overall program feel.

At least that's how Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis feels after his time at Texas A&M.

Davis, who appeared on 'The Ivey League' Podcast, said that despite growing up as a fan of the Aggies, what he expected and what he got in College Station drastically differed his opinion on the program.

“Ole Miss and A&M are night-and-day different culture-wise,” said Davis. “I’ve loved it here since I’ve gotten here."

Davis spent three seasons with the Aggies before electing to transfer to Oxford. While essential on practice days, he rarely saw the field outside of kickoffs, and even then he was splitting reps with multiple players.

Ole Miss, fresh off its best finish in program history, offered a starting opportunity place-kicking, which should lead to more attention this fall. Expected to remain in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth, Davis also got to stick around the SEC and be a factor in the Rebels' success in hopes of being the season to remember.

"The coaching staff here, the culture within the players and the locker room, it’s night-and-day different to Texas A&M," said Davis. "That’s a big reason why we’ve had success here and why we didn’t have a lot of success at A&M.”

Last season with the Rebels, Davis ultimately was 18-of-23 on field goals. He was 7-for-7 on kicks shorter than 30 yards and connected on all 51 of his point-after attempts.

Perhaps his biggest kick came against his former team. When Texas A&M came to visit, Davis drilled a 22-yard kick to give Ole Miss a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Rebels would win, 38-35, thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins in the final two minutes.

During that game, Davis' first field goal attempt was blocked for a 75-yard touchdown. As he remembers, the kick felt good great off his feet, but Jacoby Mathews got a hand on the ball and started taking off.

“I see the ball out to the side, and before I could even react, it was already scooped up and I just started running. I didn’t have enough in me, I guess," Davis said.

The Rebels have the sixth-best odds to win the national championship in 2024-25 and produced six preseason All-SEC selections on Friday.