Position Preview: Ole Miss Rebels' Elite 2024 Wide Receiver Room

The Ole Miss Rebels and Lane Kiffin are set to feature an elite wide receiver corps in 2024.

Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Jordan Watkins (11) and head coach Lane Kiffin / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Lane Kiffin may be viewed as a "quarterback whisperer," but the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels has also assembled an elite group of wide receivers entering the 2024 season.

Ole Miss returns some strong production at wideout from its 11-2 season in 2023, but it also made moves in the transfer portal to help bolster the group this offseason. Pair that with some young talent waiting in the wings, and quarterback Jaxson Dart should have plenty of weapons at his disposal in the passing game this fall.

The hype is understandable, but what should you expect from this position group in 2024? Let's dive in below.

Familiar Faces

Much is made of Ole Miss' conquests in the transfer portal, and for good reason. But just as important for this team was roster retention from a year ago, and the Rebels managed to pull that off at wide receiver.

Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins have both been a part of Ole Miss history, but they elected to remain in Oxford for another season in hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. Even after battling through injuries in 2023, these two still found themselves among the Rebels' best receivers statistically.

Harris led Ole Miss in receiving yardage last season with 985, and Watkins came in at No. 3 with 741. They also combined for 11 scores, making this a lethal combination on the field when a big catch is needed in 2024. Harris holds the school record for most receiving scores in a game (4), and it came in his first action as a Rebel in Week 1 of last season against Mercer.

Adding new talent is great, but holding onto veteran leadership (and talented leadership, at that) is huge for this team.

New Faces

The biggest boost for Ole Miss at wide receiver this offseason obviously came from Antwane "Juice" Wells who joined the Rebels from the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Wells' 2023 season was cut short due to injury, but in 2022, he hauled in 68 receptions for 928 yards and six scores for the Gamecocks. While with James Madison the season prior, he eclipsed 1,200 receiving yards and found the end zone 15 times.

The Rebels also added a sometimes-overlooked talent in Devin Price from Florida Atlantic, and Deion Smith signed with Ole Miss on Early Signing Day in December, coming to Oxford by way of LSU and Holmes (Miss.) Community College.

It's never easy to adjust to a new location, but these receivers have the talent to make it work in Oxford, and with leadership from guys like Watkins and Harris, they should make an impact.

Young Faces

These "flashier" names will draw most of the attention for Ole Miss, but this group has some young talent that has turned heads since arriving in Oxford.

Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee are the ones who fit best into this category. Lee had a bit of a coming out party in the 2023 Peach Bowl, hauling in three receptions for 29 yards, and he will likely play a bigger role with the team this fall.

Williams also has plenty of talent at his disposal, and although he didn't see a ton of action in 2023, that could change this fall, now that he has more experience under his belt. Playing time may not be as plentiful for this duo as some of the headlining names, but learning and growing in this environment is key.