Ole Miss Has a 'Chance to Make a Run' in 2024, Per Tight End Caden Prieskorn

Ole Miss Rebels tight end Caden Prieskorn believes his team has a real shot at a College Football Playoff berth this season.

Ole Miss Rebels tight end Caden Prieskorn in the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

After transferring to the Ole Miss Rebels from the Memphis Tigers last season, Caden Prieskorn is one of the top returning tight ends in the SEC.

While most fans were drooling over the athletic freak Michael Trigg, Kiffin and Co. knew they had something special with Prieskorn at the tight end position. After missing the first three games of last season due to injury, Prieskorn made his Rebel debut in Tuscaloosa as Ole Miss fell to Alabama 24-10 in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Prieskorn made an immediate impact in the blocking and pass catching game, but when he was finally out on the field, injuries still lingered. The process of having to sit out the start of the season and not being 100 percent healthy in the early going helped him find a new appreciation for the game he loves.

"Just showed me how much I love football and why I go out here every day just to grind," Prieskorn said in media availability this week. "It got taken away from me for three weeks, and it had a huge effect on me. Just showed me how much I love the game, and I just really want to be out there with my teammates, go out there and try to get wins."

Prieskorn is one of many key Rebels from a season ago who elected to return to Oxford for a legit chance at a College Football Playoff berth in 2024. The allure of that prestige as well as missing out on part of last campaign helped the tight end cement his final decision.

Ole Miss Rebels tight end Caden Prieskorn in last season's Egg Bowl win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. / Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA

"For me, just not being healthy most of the season played a huge factor and seeing the team and who's coming back played a huge role," Prieskorn said. "I feel like we have a good chance to make a run this year."

Even as a new transfer himself a season ago, Prieskorn found himself as a leader on the Ole Miss roster en route to the team's 11-2 finish and Peach Bowl win. As the Rebels have brought in a plethora of new faces from the portal once again this year, the question of "gelling" into a single team culture lingers in the minds of those who analyze the potential of this team entering a critical 2024 run.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Prieskorn has tread these waters before, and he believes that his experience along with other veterans in the locker room can help solidify a strong culture before the season begins in late August.

"I feel like having a lot of core guys come back, I feel like that helps the younger guys and the transfer guys to buy in," Prieskorn said.

The Rebels will conclude their drills on April 13 with the annual Grove Bowl spring game, and the regular season will kick off on Aug. 31 at home against the Furman Paladins.