"There's a whole buzz around Oxford": JJ Pegues on Ole Miss football's 2022 transfer class
The final National Signing Day of the 2022 recruiting cycle is completed but a week later there is still excitement around the class that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff pieced together.
One of the later pieces of Kiffin’s puzzle was JJ Pegues. The former Auburn defensive lineman entered the portal last month and quickly made the move to come home to Oxford and play for the Rebels.
Pegues was one of many high-level players that entered the portal and came out of it in Oxford. Linebacker Troy Brown from Central Michigan and defensive back Isheem Young from Iowa State are two other major pieces brought in to help continue the defense’s momentum.
Then of course there was the duo signing of quarterback Jaxson Dart and tight end Michael Trigg from Southern California that helped put the Rebels near the top, if not at the top, of the transfer class rankings.
“There’s a whole buzz around Oxford right now,” Pegues said when speaking with the Ole Miss Spirit. “It’s getting scary over here at Ole Miss. Just because everybody’s buying in. The vibes and the energy is just feeling good and I don’t really every feel like bad vibes or bad energy. That’s why I can’t wait for first day of spring (practices).”
Coming off the 2021 season, the defense made a massive turnaround — relative to being one of the worst in FBS during the 2020 season — and the goal is to try and continue that upward trend.
The loss of linebacker Chance Campbell and defensive lineman Sam Williams are two tough blows, with Campbell the team’s top tackler in just one season with the Rebels. Both are NFL bound and now it is up to Pegues and the rest of the new additions plus the ones returning to fill the voids.
Being part of what has been considered as one of the best signing classes in program history brings great pride for Pegues. Not just for what it means being the hometown kid, but knowing he is part of a group that can help bring potentially lofty expectations for 2022.
“It means a lot. I mean we got a lot of great players,” Pegues said. “It feels great to be in this class so we can make a change an hopefully make a run for a national championship.
“I feel like watching them last year and seeing the success they had, I feel like they were just a couple plays away. It just all starts with the mentality of pushing through in workouts and not skipping a rep in workouts. Just going full speed no matter whatever you’re doing. … I feel like if we do that and buy into the process we ought to hopefully go for a championship.”
Along with playing with Brown and Young on the field, Pegues said he is looking forward to also sharing the field with returning players like defensive tackle K.D. Hill.
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