Where Does Ole Miss Rank in Among Teams With Upcoming NFL Draft Prospects?

The Ole Miss Rebels are among the top programs in the country in terms of talent that could make a splash in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Ole Miss WR Juice Wells / Ole Miss Athletics

The Ole Miss Rebels have a good bit of talent on their roster entering the 2024 college football season, but some of these names will venture on towards the NFL Draft following the year's conclusion.

ESPN recently published a story that breaks down 10 college football programs with the most draft prospects entering the year, and Ole Miss made the list, coming in on Tier 2. Ranking ahead of the Rebels were the Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas Longhorns and Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Joining Ole Miss in Tier 2 were the Michigan Wolverines and LSU Tigers.

According to ESPN's Jordan Reid, the top prospect to know for the Rebels this season is new edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, calling him "arguably the most flexible edge rusher in this draft class," although NFL scouts want to see more numbers in his sack column.

A "sleeper prospect" to know on Ole Miss' roster is another transfer in Juice Wells, according to the story, and it also goes into detail about DL Walter Nolen, QB Jaxson Dart and others. Reid stated that if Wells can overcome his injury history, "he could become Dart's top receiver and see his stock rise."

Although Reid does not predict that any Ole Miss player will be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he does believe that 10 Rebels are legitimate prospects and could find a home on a professional roster next season.

So, what does that mean for Ole Miss as the 2024 season nears? In short, it has the potential to have an elite roster this fall, but it could have to replace some significant talent entering 2025, if it wants to remain near the top of the college football world. For now, however, the focus is on the upcoming season in Oxford, one that will open at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31.