Rebels' Walter Nolen Misses Cut on Top 10 Returning Interior Defensive Linemen

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Walter Nolen recently missed the cut on a list of the top returners at his position.

The Ole Miss Rebels brought in a massive transfer portal haul this offseason, and one of the headlining pieces of that haul is interior defensive lineman Walter Nolen.

Nolen is a former top prospect in the high school ranks, and he came to Ole Miss by way of the Texas A&M Aggies. Recently, Pro Football Focus released its listing of the top 10 returning interior defensive linemen for the 2024 season, and Nolen just missed the cut.

He did, however, earn a spot as an honorable mention. You can view an excerpt from the piece below.

Ole Miss Athletics

HONORABLE MENTION: WALTER NOLEN, OLE MISS REBELS

The former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2022 high school class, Nolen began to live up to that hype in his sophomore season for Texas A&M. His seven sacks this year were tied for third among SEC interior defensive linemen as were his eight tackles for loss/no-gain. He was also fourth among SEC defensive tackles with a 9.9% pass-rush win rate.

Nolen committed to the Rebels in December, and he is part of a defensive overhaul that has joined Ole Miss entering this season. There is still plenty of work to do, but if a College Football Playoff berth is in the cards for the Rebels this season, Nolen is expected to be a key contributor to that end.

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Multiple other pieces joined Nolen as transfers on the defensive side of the ball as well, including Princely Umanmielen (EDGE), Chris Paul Jr. (LB) and Trey Amos (DB).

Ole Miss is currently in the midst of spring practice, a set of drills that will last until The Grove Bowl spring game on April 13. Kickoff for the 2024 season is slated for Aug. 31 when the Rebels play host to the Furman Paladins.