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Rebel Roundabout: Fifth preseason honor for Ole Miss’ Nolen; Ravens praise Robinson

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrett•08/14/24•

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Ole Miss football kicks off the 2024-25 season in a little over two weeks. 

The Rebels are smack dab in the middle of preseason camp. All the while, preseason accolades continue to roll in. 

Three Rebels were recognized on Wednesday alone. The Sporting News has both Ole Miss senior wide receiver Tre Harris and junior defensive tackle Walter Nolen as second-team All-Americans. Jaxson Dart is one of 63 quarterbacks nationally on the watchlist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Harris is on the watchlist for the Biletnikoff Award, too. He was one of three player representatives for Ole Miss at SEC Media Days, where he was tabbed first-team All-SEC.

Harris last season — his first at Ole Miss after transferring in from Louisiana Tech — finished with 54 catches for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. A single-game-record four scores came in the season opener against Mercer. He had 213 yards against Texas A&M, the sixth-most in Ole Miss history.

Nolen has now collected five preseason honors.

He, too, was pegged first-team All-SEC by league media. He’s also on the watchlists for the Walter Camp and Bronko Nagurski and Outland Trophies. 

Nolen is a former five-star recruit and transfer from Texas A&M.

Dart’s other watchlists are the Maxwell, Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien Awards. He led Ole Miss to a program-record 11 wins last season, throwing for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns. 

Dart’s five interceptions tied for the fewest in a single season by a Rebel with at least 200 attempts.

CAP CAN DO THIS ALL DAY

Tim Elko was a 10th-round MLB Draft selection of the Chicago White Sox in 2023. He signed for $35,000.

Safe to say his next contract is going to be much, much larger.

Elko is riding an 11-game hitting streak since he was promoted from Double-A Birmingham to Triple-A Charlotte. He’s ranked outside of the organization’s Top 30 prospects, but with the way he’s going, he could soon kick the door down to ‘The Show.’ 

“There’s great pitchers in both Double-A and Triple-A,” Elko said, in an interview with Elijah Evans of ‘Just Baseball.’ “A lot of these guys have had big-league time and are big-league caliber. Their control’s pretty good. 

“I’m trying not to overthink too much and remember it’s still just baseball. Just trying to compete and put a good (at-bat) up there.”

Elko was a three-time Ole Miss captain and has a statue in his honor at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. 

Elko topped the Rebels in slugging percentage (.642), RBI (75), home runs (24) and total bases (154) in their title-winning 2022 campaign. He set a new single-season program record for home runs.

ROBINSON PUTTING ON FOR RAVENS 

Former Ole Miss EDGE Tavius Robinson was a fourth-round selection of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

He appeared in all 17 games and finished with 26 tackles and a sack last season. But Robinson could be poised for more in 2024-25, according to Ravens pass-rush coach Chuck Smith.

The Ravens are currently are in preseason camp. They open Thursday, September 5, with a rematch of the AFC Championship Game at Kansas City.

“He’s a glass-eater,” Smith said of Robinson. “He’s never turned down one rep since he’s been here. Every play, and I’m not exaggerating, he’s giving effort. Every day Tavius Robinson listens to the coach, works out hard, he’s early, and when he gets in those drills, he puts hands on people in the run. He continues to work hard and develop as a pass-rusher.”

Robinson spent three seasons (2020-22) with the Rebels.

He transferred in from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. 

Robinson recorded 90 total tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, one pass breakup and five forced fumbles. He was at his best against Auburn in 2022. 

Robinson had five total tackles, 2.5 TFLs, two sacks and a forced fumble.

“Tavius played last year. Tavius was in big games early on,” Smith said. “He went out there and smashed with some of the big teams we faced. 

But I really can’t say enough about him as far as who he is and how physical he is. he shows no mercy. Tavius Robinson is everything you look for. He’s never turned down a rep. He’s never not run to the ball. That says a lot. It’s all the truth. Everybody here will say that.”

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