Rebel Rewind: When Ole Miss got to Jayden Daniels before his NFL star turn

The wins have been many and memorable for Ole Miss football in five seasons under head coach Lane Kiffin. 

Kiffin in 2024-25 — the third 10-win season for the Rebels in the last four years — became the fastest coach to 40 wins in Ole Miss history. The Rebels have made five straight bowl appearances, including two in New Years’s Six games.

Ole Miss lost just twice in the 2023-24 regular season. Among the signature wins was a 55-49 track meet at home against eventual Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and then-No. 13 LSU. 

Daniels has taken the NFL by storm in his rookie season with the Washington Commanders. He’s the likely runaway winner of NFC Rookie of the Year and has the 6-seed Commanders in their first NFC Championship Game since 1991. 

Washington was just 4-13 last season. Daniels carried Washington to a 45-31 upset of the top-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday.

“I always believe,” Daniels said afterwards. “I always believed we could achieve more than what people give us credit for. But you gotta go out there and put in the work. You’ve gotta go out there and work daily and get better each and every day. 

“Just put your head down and grind, and by this time of the season, you look up and you might be in a position like this.”

2024 NFL Draft: Daijahn Anthony Selected by the Cincinnati Bengals

Daniels was 22 for 31 for 299 yards and two touchdowns. 

He also carried a career-high 16 times for 52 yards. Daniels finished with a 122.9 passer rating and took zero sacks. 

The 24-year-old Daniels last week orchestrated the Commanders’ first playoff win since 2005. He’s one win away from appearing in the Super Bowl. Washington next travels to the winner of the AJ-Brown-led Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams. 

The Rebels got as good a look as anyone at Daniels’ potential superstardom in September of 2023. They also got the better of him. 

Daniels scored 50 touchdowns and led the NCAA with nearly 5,000 passing yards. He set a new single-season NCAA passer rating record. He couldn’t have been more impressive in defeat, either. 

Ole Miss gave up 637 offensive yards, 33 first downs and 49 points. But safety Daijahn Anthony, now with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, twice got the better of him twice with a pair of the game’s most important defensive plays.

Daniels rolled to his right with 4:44 left in the first quarter and the Tigers driving to the Rebel 25. Anthony met Daniels just as he was reaching the Rebel sideline. His (clean!) hit was so ferocious Daniels fumbled, recovered by Ole Miss safety Trey Washington.

“That hit felt good,” Anthony said.

Anthony got him again on the game’s final play. 

Daniels attempted a game-winning touchdown throw with five seconds left. Anthony, though, knocked it away.

“Those last two stops we had showed what we can do if we execute the way we are supposed to,” Anthony said. “We just have to remember all the hard work we have put in, trust the person next to you to do their job, do your job and execute.

“We did that on their last two drives, for the most part, and we got two stops that we had to have.”

Daniels went on to be drafted No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft. The Bengals took Anthony in the seventh round, No. 214 overall.

Anthony spent just one season at Ole Miss after prior stops at Liberty and Division II Shepherd. He finished fourth on the team in tackles (61; 28 solo) and led all Rebels with eight pass breakups. He tied for the team lead in interceptions (3). 

“(Anthony’s) earned it,” Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said after Anthony was drafted. “I appreciate his story and why he did all the things that he did to get to where he’s at today. To have his name called on draft night I think is special for him. 

“We really liked him and thought it was a really good fit. I do appreciate his story and the things you hear from him and the things he’s gone through to get to where he is today.”