Jayden Williams injury update: Ole Miss without key OL vs. Duke
Ole Miss left tackle Jayden Williams is out for the matchup against Duke in the Gator Bowl on Thursday. The 6-4, 315-pounder had a knee procedure and did not dress for the game tonight, per the Ole Miss Network.
Williams saw action in five games this season, getting hurt after the Georgia Southern game before returning to face Florida and Mississippi State.
Earlier this season, fellow offensive lineman Diego Pounds was grateful for the rotation Jayden Williams brought to left tackle. Williams stepped in to help Pounds in a big way before he got hurt.
“I think it’s good (rotating reps),” Pounds said. “It’s good for me; it’s good for him. I am actually sad he got hurt, me and Jayden are really close friends. He’s just there helping me out, helping me get better every day too. Whether it’s from the sideline or if it’s telling me what this player is doing on the field, he’s just helping me out.“
Williams started at tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2022 and was a Freshman All-American, but was beat out in 2023 for a starting gig. Instead of hitting the transfer portal, Williams stuck it out to carve out a role in 2024.
“I was coming off surgery, we had a coaching change and things didn’t go my way, so I had to grow up,” Williams said earlier this season, via OM Spirit. “I had to come in this year and step things up, be more mature and hit football harder.
Top 10
- 1New
Isaiah Neyor withdraws
Huskers WR withdraws after Louisville signing
- 2
ESPN called out over CFP
Employee of ESPN calls out greed
- 3
Cam Newton
Doubling down on Notre Dame doubt
- 4
Paul Finebaum
Big Ten could change paradigm of CFB
- 5Hot
SEC lacks elite talent depth
Marcus Spears explains why
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“I had a daughter born last year. I was trying to get over the hump then, but I couldn’t. I had to mature, I had to look in the mirror. I thought about transferring, but when I evaluated everything, I was the problem and leaving would not solve anything.”
Jayden Williams is expected to be one of the key cogs in the offensive line for the Rebels in 2025, but he’s getting a jump start on recovering in time for his final run with Ole Miss. It’s tough not having Williams against a defense Lane Kiffin respects in a big way.
“On Coach Diaz, have great respect,” Kiffin said Wednesday. “Even though we’ve never worked together, always have looked at his defense as very aggressive. He’s been able to go in wherever he has and immediately change their defense statistically and how hard they play, and now he’s got a whole team doing it as a head coach.”
Ole Miss leads Duke at halftime, 24-7, in the Gator Bowl. A win would give Kiffin his third 10-win season and the first consecutive ones at Ole Miss since 1959-60.
