Walter Nolen injury update: ESPN provides latest on star Ole Miss DT

Ole Miss star defensive lineman Walter Nolen was injured late in the first half of a contest against Oklahoma, coming up gimpy after a play in the red zone.

Nolen was immediately tended to by trainers on the field, who appeared to be performing stability tests on his left knee.

As the teams returned from halftime, the ESPN broadcast crew provided an update on his status.

“Walter Nolen was down here on the sidelines but, guys, did not warm up with the team coming out of halftime,” ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden said. “We saw him leave the field gingerly in the second quarter.”

The former Texas A&M transfer seemed to get rolled up on while rushing the passer on the interior on a play late in the second quarter. He came up immediately holding the knee.

Nolen did walk off the field on his own power, with the assistance of team trainers. He appeared to be walking quite gingerly.

At the time of his injury, Walter Nolen had recorded one tackle and one quarterback hurry.

The news went from bad to worse for the Rebels shortly after Nolen’s injury. Oklahoma managed to convert in the red zone to score a touchdown on a 9-yard pass from quarterback Jackson Arnold to receiver Jacob Jordan. That made the score 14-10 Oklahoma at the half.

Controversy brewing in Ole Miss, Oklahoma

A squirrel running onto the field took the heat off an otherwise contentious moment between the two programs on the field. The game had just gone to an injury timeout after Oklahoma defensive lineman Gracen Halton appeared to go down without any contact following a first-down conversion by Ole Miss in the first quarter.

The play in question followed a seven-yard completion for the Rebels, with the offense presumably about to enter hurry-up mode.

Halten took a few steps normally, then glanced toward the sideline. As he did he grabbed his hamstring and went down, to groans and boos from the Ole Miss crowd. Rebels coach Lane Kiffin was not happy about it, as it was the second time an Oklahoma player had gone down in the first quarter.

Even the ESPN broadcast crew commented on the issue, noting how difficult it is to properly police.

Worth noting, though: Halton reportedly received fluids and was being stretched out by trainers on the sidelines.

Still, it’ll bear monitoring whether anyone draws ire of the coaches in the second half for potentially faking an injury against the up-tempo Ole Miss offense.