Rebels' 2024 D-Line Ranked Among Best Nationally

The Ole Miss Rebels are projected to have one of the best defensive lines in the country in 2024.

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Walter Nolen during spring practice / Ole Miss Athletics

The Ole Miss Rebels are entering a crucial 2024 season, and while coach Lane Kiffin's offense will continue to draw headlines, the defensive side of the ball should be a major upgrade from years prior.

That all starts up front for the Rebels. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding and company have put in a ton of work in the transfer portal this offseason, and the front-seven in Oxford is probably the best on paper that it's been since Kiffin took the head coaching job.

Some key additions like Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen will join vaunted returners like Jared Ivey and J.J. Pegues in the trenches, but how good can the unit be as a whole this fall? 247Sports recently ranked the top 10 defensive lines in college football entering the season, and Ole Miss came in at No. 4 on the list.

You can view an excerpt from the piece below.

"Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen were two of the bigger gets in the transfer portal and should help make the Rebels one of the most feared fronts in the country. ... Ole Miss has typically done lots of movement and stunts and games and it will be interesting to see what adjustments they make with the uptick in talent. They are small on the edges and will no doubt get tested in the run game with heavy personnel and gap changers early and often. Their depth is a concern and they are a couple of injuries away from a nightmare scenario on a team that I expect to make a deep playoff run."

Injuries are always a concern at any position group, but if Ole Miss can remain healthy up front, there's no reason why it can't punish rushers and passers alike in 2024.

The Rebels had to get serious about their size in the trenches after they were embarrassed 52-17 by the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens a season ago. Sure, Ole Miss won a program-best 11 games in 2023, but it was clear that the program still had work to do if it wanted to reach the level of a contender.

So, the coaching staff got to work, and (again, on paper) it has put together an impressive roster for the upcoming season. It also helps that the path to contention is a wider road than in years past, considering the expansion of the College Football Playoff to include 12 teams.

If Ole Miss can reach the 12-team CFP this season, its offense will be a big reason why. But of equal importance will be its defense and the talent the Rebels have in the front-seven.