Veteran Lineman JJ Pegues Brings Ole Miss Rebels Together as 'Vocal Leader'

JJ Pegues now occupies a veteran presence on the roster of the Ole Miss Rebels, and he has completed his third spring in Oxford.

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman JJ Pegues in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

OXFORD - JJ Pegues has concluded another set of spring drills with the Ole Miss Rebels, and he now occupies the role of a veteran on this team.

Pegues was made available to the media following the Rebels' Grove Bowl Games on Saturday, and he believes the unorthodox approach to a spring game was a good opportunity for his team to build some fortitude in a unique way.

"It showed character today, actually, because [head coach Lane] Kiffin put some ups and downs in the game," Pegues said, "and that's how games go. I feel like we just took it like a 'pro mindset,' and that's what we always talk about around here."

Kiffin influenced some of the scoring in the games on Saturday, and the Red and Blue Teams had to respond accordingly. While one person can't dictate the score of an actual football game, there are some parts of a contest that are out of a team's control, something that Ole Miss players had to adjust to last weekend.

"It was a big difference, but we were excited to see how it was going to turn out," Pegues said. "I can see down the road, other teams might copy it and see how it is. Just because it's fun and you get to see the goofier side of us, the actual us just out there playing football.

"This was fun, but who doesn't like a classic football game? At the end of the day, I loved this because the Pro Bowl does it, and we understand why the NFL does it because of injuries and stuff like that. It was fun."

READ MORE: How Lane Kiffin Used Joey Chestnut to Motivate Ole Miss Rebels Prior to Grove Bowl

This set of games was more of an opportunity to have fun and celebrate the program than showcase some of the talent on the Ole Miss roster. Still, Pegues was named a captain of the Blue Team, and he took his role seriously, just like he does as a leader for the Rebels on a day-in and day-out basis.

Now that he has completed his third spring at Ole Miss, he has a few new things he enjoys as a seasoned part of this roster.

"Just being a vet here," Pegues said. "Being able to be that vocal leader out there, and we just really try to bring this team together. Our experiences here and how we know Kiffin and our coaches, it brings good comradery to this team. It shows how we grew when we came here first. It's cool to see the young guys coming up and following us and doing the little things."

Pegues and the Rebels will now have a bit of a break before revving back up for fall camp later in the year. Ole Miss will open its 2024 season at home on Aug. 31 against the Furman Paladins.