Ole Miss Football's Cayden Lee Breaks Down Rebel Offense Without Tre Harris

Star receiver Cayden Lee recently gave his insight into the Ole Miss offense's recent success.

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) runs after a catch as Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Damon Wilson II (10) pursues during the second half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss' offense is ranked No. 2 in total offense nationally, and wide receiver Cayden Lee is a big reason why.

The sophomore from Kennesaw, Georgia, has caught 40 passes for 696 yards and a touchdown this season with an average of 17.4 yards per catch. In the Rebels' win over Georgia on Nov. 9, Lee caught four passes for 81 yards.

Despite missing time with injuries, Lee has still been a major contributor, especially in the wake of the SEC's leading receiver Tre Harris not playing since October.

"Tre is a great player, we all know that," Lee said on Tuesday. "But we had to keep what was going, and we couldn't fall off because we wouldn't be in the position we are now. The offense is in a really good position, and when Tre [Harris] comes back, I feel like it's going to make us even better."

Lee is absolutely right. Despite Harris' absence, the Rebels remained atop the stat sheet for total offense, and with Harris expected to play on Saturday, the momentum the team has established is only going to be bolstered.

A part of this offensive boost for the Rebels has come from a "playoff game" mindset where they know they have to win in order to stay alive in the College Football Playoff conversation.

"We know that we control our own destiny," Lee said, "but we also know every game really is a playoff game because three losses, you can't do a lot with that anymore. Every game is a playoff game. Every day, we've got to come in and work, and we've just got to keep winning."

Speaking of the playoff conversation, Ole Miss is in the middle of it again this week as the Rebels came in at No. 9 in the latest CFP Rankings released on Tuesday night. Lee was asked about the rankings prior to their release, but he doesn't pay a ton of attention to them at this stage of the campaign.

"The rankings are cool, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter," Lee said. "If we're ranked No. 1 in the country, and then we go out and lose, it doesn't matter. The only ranking that matters is the one at the end of the year."

The Rebels travel to Gainesville to face Florida on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ABC.