Ole Miss All-American DL Walter Nolen Accepts Invite to Reese's Senior Bowl

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Walter Nolen officially accepted an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl on Tuesday.
Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Walter Nolen (2) and linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) react after a sack during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Walter Nolen (2) and linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) react after a sack during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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Walter Nolen made a huge impact in his first and only season with the Ole Miss Rebels, and the defensive lineman will have one more chance to put his talents on display for NFL Scouts in the Reese's Senior Bowl.

Nolen officially accepted his invitation to the February game on Tuesday, marking the sixth Ole Miss player to confirm his participation in the contest.

Nolen was named a consensus All-American following his stellar 2024 campaign where he finished the regular season with 48 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks while also batting down three passes and recovering two fumbles.

Despite being a projected first round pick in this year's NFL Draft, Nolen opted to play in Ole Miss' Gator Bowl appearance, wanting to finish the season strong with his teammates and gain a personal milestone along the way.

"Really, it was the fact that I've never played in a bowl game," Nolen said in a press conference prior to the Gator Bowl, "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 highly-touted defensive lineman came to Ole Miss through the transfer portal last offseason, opting to leave the Texas A&M Aggies and join the Rebels. He along with two other transfers (Princely Umanmielen and Trey Amos) were projected as first round selections in a recent mock draft, showing just how quickly Ole Miss was able to revamp its defense through the portal last year.

Nolen and the other Rebels will play in the Senior Bowl on Feb. 1 with a 1:30 p.m. CT start time on NFL Network.

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John Macon Gillespie
JOHN MACON GILLESPIE

John Macon Gillespie is the publisher of The Grove Report and has experience on the Ole Miss beat spanning five years.