‘I love everything’: Jersey numbers assigned for Ole Miss football’s 24 transfers

Ole Miss football on Friday released the assigned jersey numbers for its 24 transfers. 

The first of two portal windows is closed. The second, and last, opens in April and goes for just 10 days. Ole Miss currently boasts the nation’s No. 2 overall class, according to On3’s team rankings. 

Oklahoma State wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling is one of five transfer wide receivers the Rebels have brought in. He’ll wear No. 1, while Trey Wallace (Penn State) is No. 2, Caleb Odom (Alabama) is No. 4, Traylon Ray (West Virginia) is No. 7 and Deuce Alexander (Wake Forest) is No. 11.

Stribling last season had a career-high 52 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns, including four 100-yard performances. He’s the likely replacement for Tre Harris, the Rebels’ leading receiver in 2024-25 and one of a program-record 11 Rebels headed to the NFL Scouting Combine later this month. 

Ole Miss is tied for the fifth-most combine invites in the nation. 

Odom is a former 5-star recruit and caught seven passes for 65 yards as a true freshman.

Ole Miss is replacing 18 of 22 starters. Wallace is a former 4-star. He’s recorded 84 catches for 1,221 yards and six touchdowns in four college seasons and slashed 46/720/4 for the Nittany Lions last season. Wallace had seven catches for 85 yards in PSU’s three-game College Football Playoff run.

LSU defensive back Sage Ryan took No. 3. Missouri running back Kewan Lacy is No. 5, with Arkansas tight end Luke Hasz going with Harris’ No. 9. Hasz’s former Razorback teammate, Jaylon Braxton, will share 11 with Alexander. 

Braxton wore the number in his previous two seasons with the Razorbacks. 

“It’s been good,” Braxton said of his Ole Miss experience so far. “I’m just getting used to the city and my schedule. But so far I love everything. Everybody’s got a great mindset and wants to work hard and get better every single day.”

Louisville quarterback Pierce Clarkson is No. 12.

Clarkson will compete with AJ Maddox to back up new Ole Miss starter Austin Simmons. 

Grambling linebacker Andrew Jones is wearing 12, too. Jones’ full-season grade for 2024 was the best (81.7) of all of Ole Miss’ portal additions, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Jones was ranked the No. 5 linebacker in the portal by On3 and flipped from South Carolina. He had 122 total tackles (57 solo), 20.5 tackles of loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown last season. Jones has one season of eligibility remaining.

Washington State cornerback/safety Kapena Gushiken is No. 14, LSU EDGE Da’Shawn Womack is No. 15, Nebraska EDGE Princely Umanmielen is No. 16 and Western Kentucky kicker Lucas Carneiro is No. 17. 

On3 ranked Womack and Umanmielen, the younger brother of now-former Ole Miss EDGE Princely, as two of the portal’s Top 10 EDGE rushers. Princewill Umanmielen was third and Womack sixth. Princely Umanmielen is a potential first-round NFL Draft selection and off to the combine.

Ole Miss last season set new school records for single-season sacks (52) and TFLs (120).

“(William Echoles and Kam Franklin) are coming up. I’m excited to watch them develop,” now-departed Ole Miss defensive lineman Jared Ivey said. Ivey is going to the combine and is a likely top-two-rounder. “Obviously (Suntarine Perkins) is still gonna be doing good things alongside those younger guys and (Jamarious Brown) and (Zxavian Harris). I’m super excited. There’s a couple other guys who’ve got to take some more steps in the right direction.”

Akron running back Jordan Simmons was issued No. 23. JUCO running back Trey Hall is No. 25, followed a pair of linebackers in Missouri State’s Tahj Chambers (No. 26) and Marshall’s Jaden Yates (No. 30). 

Yates last season was the Sun Belt Conference leader in tackles (121). He added seven tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a sack. Yates had 10 tackles or more in five games.

Ole Miss is replacing leading tackler Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul, Jr.

Paul declared for the NFL Draft after one season with the Rebels and after a transfer from Arkansas.

“I always start everything off with, ‘Can I get on the field?’ Chris Paul is leaving. He hadn’t declared (for the NFL Draft) when I took my visit,” Yates said in an interview with the Rebel Walk. “That was a thing I made sure to keep an eye on and wait on. When he declared it was hard for me to say no. 

“This is where God wanted me to be.”

Oscar Bird is a 23-year-old freshman from Australia and the signed replacement for Fraser Masin at punter. He’ll wear No. 44. Offensive linemen Delano Townsend (UAB) and PJ Wilkins (Charlotte) are No. 51 and No. 71, respectively. 

Auburn offensive tackle Percy Lewis took No. 73. Patrick Kutas, another former Arkansas Razorback, is the favorite to start at right guard and will wear No. 75. New Mexico tight end Trace Bruckler is No. 85.