Ole Miss football has pair of PFF stat-stuffers in Harris and Umanmielen
Pro Football Focus rolled out a few more metrics this week to add some additional fuel to the hype train for Ole Miss in 2024.
Tre Harris, per PFF, is the highest-graded returning wide receiver against single coverage in the SEC. Florida transfer EDGE Princely Umanmielen is Top 10 in career quarterback pressures.
“Everybody knows, really, the big goal is a national championship,” Harris said during his stop by the Spirit’s ‘Ivey League’ podcast. Harris was discussing expectations for the Rebels in 2024.
“That’s sitting in the back of everybody’s heads. Everybody is not necessarily feeling the pressure, but more so embracing it. We’ve got the team (and) the pieces.”
Harris is a second-year Rebel and senior. He’s a one-time transfer from Louisiana Tech.
Harris set a new single-game school record for receiving touchdowns (4) in a season-opening blowout of Murray State, his Ole Miss debut. He finished the year as one of three Rebel wideouts with 700 or more receiving yards.
Harris was the team’s leading receiver with his 54 catches, 985 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s one of a host of decorated Ole Miss veterans who in the off-season put off the NFL Draft to chase a title with the Rebels next season.
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Ole Miss won a program-record 11 games in 2023-24.
Ole Miss also climbed into the Top 10 of Top 25 polls at some point in each of the last three years. The Rebels have appeared in a pair of New Year’s Six bowl games over that span as well.
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“I feel like here I’m getting coached harder for things like (attacking the run game),” Umanmielen said. “The way I was coached (at Florida) it was almost as if they were just telling me to go out there and use my talent.
“Here, coach Lou (Spanos) and coach (Randall) Joyner have been really on me about the little things. Coach Lou really goes through the progressions of the drops and the routes that are being run when I have to go into coverage. When I was at Florida, it was like they would just tell me to drop to this area and I would have to figure out everything else on my own.
“Here they go real in-depth and I’m actually getting developed.”
RELATED: Umanmielen currently the highest-mocked 2025 NFL Draft prospect for Ole Miss football
Umanmielen spent four seasons as a Gator.
Pro Football Focus has Umanmielen pegged as the No. 7 returning EDGE in the country.
Umanmielen last season paced Florida in sacks (7.0) and tackles for loss (11.5). He was fourth among all Power 5 EDGE rushers in pass-rush win rate (22.2 percent). Umanmielen had the second-most run-defense stops (42)
“Of course, winning the SEC championship,” Harris said of team-wide goals for the season ahead.
On3 national college football analysts have split opinions on Ole Miss’ Top 5 potential for next season. JD PicKell has Ole Miss No. 5, but Andy Staples put the Rebels No. 9.
Harris continued, “You’ve got to get there first, but that’s a huge goal for us. One of the goals I set for myself personally was to be a better leader.”
