WATCH: Ole Miss has something ‘big and historic brewing.’ Watkins and Ivey wanted in.
The college football off-season isn’t even a month old. Ole Miss still has a game left to play, too — the Peach Bowl, its second New Year’s Six in four seasons under head coach Lane Kiffin.
But the Rebels have already done significant roster work both on the recruiting trail and in the retention of most all of their star players from a team that finished 10-2 this season. A win over Penn State December 30 — the first-ever meeting between the teams — would net Ole Miss its first 11-win campaign.
JJ Pegues got the ball rolling. Jordan Watkins and Jared Ivey weren’t far behind. The latter two both acknowledged the importance of NIL in making their decisions.
More than anything else, though, they, like the rest of the returners, believe Ole Miss can legitimately compete for a national title this time next year, when the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams.
“We have a chance to do something really, really special this year, potentially, with the way the college football playoff is set up. I wanted to be a part of that,” Watkins said. “Obviously, (NIL is) on your mind. With this being my last year, I wanted to make sure that I was taken care of. But I’m not a selfish guy, at the same time.
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“The Grove Collective has done a really good job of being able to manage and bring guys back. I’m glad to be able to have them in our corner so they can help us win football games. Everybody says this is a new era in college football. Our Grove Collective has done a really good job of taking care of our guys.”
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Ivey said his was a ‘tough decision.’
But he couldn’t resist running it back with Pegues, Watkins, Tre Harris, Caden Prieskorn and others. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart hasn’t officially announced his return, but he’s widely expected to follow at some point in the coming weeks.
Ivey, a one-time transfer from Georgia Tech, has 78 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his two seasons as a Rebel. Watkins joined together with Harris and Dayton Wade to become the only trio of teammates in the country with 700 or more yards receiving apiece this season. Watkins had 53 catches for 741 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games.
“(NIL is) the elephant in the room,” Ivey said. “But, more importantly, I wanted to run it back with the guys — JJ, Prieskorn, Tre. All those great players. Jordan’s coming back.
“It’s something big and historic brewing here. It’s something I wanted to be a part of.”
Watkins and Ivey each met the media on Friday. Here’s everything they had to say.
