Ole Miss' Staggering Defense Looks to Lock Down Opponents in 2024

The 2024 Ole Miss Rebels have some new and returning firepower on defense as they look to dominate upcoming season.

Oct 28, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Isaac Ukwu (99) and JJ Pegues (89) react with defensive linemen Cedric Johnson (2) after a defensive stop during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

After a strong 2023, Ole Miss looks to come back better as it earned itself its first preseason top 10 ranking this decade.

While the Rebels may have a strong offensive side of the ball (averaging 35.1 points per game last year), the defense that coach Pete Golding rolls out every week also looks to be formidable, averaging 22.3 points against, putting them sixth in the SEC in that category.

One spot Ole Miss focused on this offseason was maximizing the transfers it brought in, claiming names such as Walter Nolen, Trey Amos, Princely Umanmielen and Chris Paul Jr. who are all expected to become immediate starters and impact players.

The additions of Nolen and Umanmielen solidfy an already-monster defensive line. Nolen, the former No. 2 prospect in the country, is coming off a season where he recorded 37 total tackles and four sacks at Texas A&M. Nolen was also one of two Ole Miss players who received the honor of being named a Sporting News Preseason All-American.

For Umanmielen, he finished off his final season as a Florida Gator with 39 total tackles which included 22 solo tackles and seven sacks off the edge. Umanmielen has had a mentally tough offseason as he has been a non-contact member of practice for most of fall camp. He claims to be working towards a return before the opener against Furman in a little over a week.

While Lane Kiffin and Golding have brought in a handful of new talents, they are still working some returning stars such as newly-appointed Chucky Mullins Award winner JJ Pegues who had a staggering 42 total tackles and 3.5 sacks on the interior of the line last season.

Another keystone on this defense is senior safety Trey Washington who led the team last year with 83 total tackles with almost a dead-even split of 37 solo and 38 assisted. He was also tied with safeties John Saunders Jr. and Daijahn Anthony with a team-leading three interceptions. Washington looks to imitate his numbers from last year in an attempt to help push Ole Miss into the College Football Playoffs.

As the season grows closer, the Rebels look to keep working on the defensive side of the ball, prepping for a very important 2024 campaign where they are set to face a number of top 25 teams.