Ole Miss added yet another significant piece through the transfer portal as defensive lineman Walter Nolen, the No. 1 player in the portal, committed to the Rebels over Oregon. Nolen is a major addition for the Rebels heading into a pivotal 2024 season.
Nolen was a hyper-elite recruit coming out of school, rated the No. 2 overall player and a perfect 100 in the Top247 rankings. He quickly became a difference maker at Texas A&M, posting 66 tackles and 11 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Nolen ranked top five on the Texas A&M team in pressures despite ranking outside of the top 10 in snaps.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, Nolen is a special lineman with the ability to play either inside or outside depending on the package. He is the kind of dynamic defensive player that Ole Miss has coveted since All-American Robert Nkemdiche left for the NFL Draft in 2016. Nolen has up to two years of eligibility remaining.
Ole Miss' hot streak continues
Nolen serves as the headliner to what is becoming a star-studded transfer class at Ole Miss. He joins Tennessee edge rusher Tyler Baron and Florida defensive end Princely Umanmielen as major additions to the defensive front for Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Ole Miss ranks No. 1 in the 247Sports Transfer Team Rankings, jumping ahead of Colorado with five fewer commits.
With the addition of Nolen, Ole Miss holds commitments from four of the top 15 players in the 247Sports transfer rankings. No other team has more than one such addition. South Carolina wide receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells joins the three defensive linemen joining the Rebels in 2024.
Ole Miss won 10 regular-season games for the second time in the last three seasons under Kiffin. Previously, the Rebels did not have a single 10-win regular season to their name. Most of the 2023 squad returns next season, leading to a rare opportunity for Kiffin and the Rebels entering the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2023.
The No. 11 Rebels face off against No. 10 Penn State in the Peach Bowl at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 30.
