Dayton Wade's plan to 'stay ready' is earning the Ole Miss walk-on more opportunities
When Ole Miss receiver Dayton Wade entered the transfer portal last season there was a lot of uncertainty on if he would ever play football again.
Wade was burned once after committing to a school and was set to visit the program the next day before watching his offer be pulled.
Positivity seems to pour out of Wade in buckets but even he had to admit there were dark days during this past offseason.
“I was southside in Atlanta, Georgia with my brother wondering if I’m ever going to play football again,” Wade said. “People don’t know, when I hit the portal I had my classes online. So I was just like, ‘Okay, I’m just going to go home and train, complete my schoolwork and train. Whenever the opportunity presents itself it presents itself.’ Around this time last year I’m sitting at home wondering where I’m fixing to go.”
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Ole Miss ended up being where Wade went and as a walk-on has made the most out of this opportunity.
Through seven games Wade has seven catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown catch came this past weekend against Auburn, Wade’s first of his collegiate career.
The 44 receiving yards last Saturday was Wade’s second most of his Ole Miss career. He caught two passes for 54 yards against Central Arkansas. This past weekend was also only a two-catch game for Wade.
Wade, who played running back in high school at times, also made an early impact in the run game with four carries — via the jet sweep — for 63 yards. The game plan included Wade early and often against the Tigers.
Between the Central Arkansas and Auburn games Wade was targeted zero times and did not see much action on offense through those four games.
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“I pretty much come into every game to expect the unexpected,” Wade said. “I just basically pride myself on being ready whenever. Everybody always asks me, ‘You ready? You ready? You ready?’ I be like, ‘I stay ready. I stay ready. I stay ready.’ That’s just my natural response when someone asks me if I’m ready. When the opportunity presents itself I’m ready to capitalize because I stay ready.”
The passing game was stifled by Auburn and limited Wade’s chance to have a bigger game.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was held to 130 passing yards as an encore performance from the 448 he threw for against Vanderbilt.
This allowed for the Rebels run game to dominate the afternoon with 448 yards against the Tigers led by Zach Evans and Quinshon Judkins. The latter earned his third SEC Freshman of the Week honor out of his first seven collegiate games.
Wade’s personality allows for him to not be worried or selfish when the passing game is shut down and his opportunities might dwindle as the game goes on.
“We just don’t the ball because we don’t have to throw the ball,” Wade said. “If the run game not working then we’ll pass it. If the pass game not working then we’ll run it. We ultimate want the ‘dub’ so we play more so, like, to win. If throwing the ball accurately and making spectacular is going to win the game, we’re going to do it. If pounding it down their throat going to win the game, we’re going to do it.”
Watch Wade’s full post-practice interview from Monday below.
