OXFORD — Unlike some of the other participants in college football's major bowl games this year, Ole Miss football waited until after the Peach Bowl to fully move on to the 2024 season.

Now, that's where the Rebels' focus firmly lies. Lane Kiffin's program has big goals, with a loaded transfer class coming in and many important contributors returning.

Ole Miss' 38-25 Peach Bowl victory over Penn State included some hints about what's to come, and the buildup to the big game offered some clues, too.

Caden Prieskorn's 2024 ceiling is sky-high

Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn raised more than a few eyebrows with his Peach Bowl stat line, reeling in 10 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Two of those receptions came on impressive, one-handed grabs.

It was the kind of performance that validated Kiffin touting him as a tight end with an NFL skill set after he arrived as a transfer from Memphis last offseason.

Prieskorn, who has stated his intent to return next season, missed the first three games of the year because of a foot injury. He said he didn't feel right until the Rebels' open week in October.

"I feel like that week kind of helped me, getting through the bye week and then getting through Auburn week," Prieskorn said last week. "I feel like that's when I became healthy."

In seven games in which he felt healthy, Prieskorn posted 387 yards and four touchdowns. Extrapolate that out over a season and that's strong tight end receiving production ‒ not to mention his impact as a run-blocker.

Suntarine Perkins isn't locked into his Edge role

Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss' prized five-star freshman touted by the recruiting services as a linebacker, played 314 of his 346 defensive snaps as an edge rusher in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus data.

"I think obviously this year, as late as we got him in, I think you've got to simplify it," coordinator Pete Golding said of Perkins' role. "He's such a good player that you've got to have him on the field."

Perkins finished the season with 38 tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

More positional variance could be in his future.

"I think he has flexibility in the position with the spring and another summer," Golding said. "Obviously you'll see him at different spots. Being that athletic, he's very versatile. He'll give us the ability to play him in multiple spots. With the spring and the summer, I think you'll see that."

MORE TO COME? Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin teases additional transfer portal action after Peach Bowl

TJ Dudley is a candidate to be a key 2024 piece

While Penn State suffered from several damaging Peach Bowl opt-outs, the Rebels enjoyed a rare bowl game reinforcement.

TJ Dudley, ruled eligible for the Peach Bowl after sitting out the season, played his first game for the Rebels after transferring from Clemson in the summer.

Listed as a linebacker, Dudley played mostly as an edge rusher in the Peach Bowl. He played 46 out of 72 available snaps to rank second among the Rebels' edge players. Those participation levels showed a surprising degree of trust from the Ole Miss staff for a player who had not yet suited up, making the redshirt freshman an offseason player to watch.

Rebels pleased with WR development despite lack of opportunity

None of the high school receivers recruited by Kiffin since his arrival in 2020 have become key contributors for the Rebels, impacted no doubt by Kiffin's success pulling wideouts from the transfer portal.

Ole Miss recruited a pair of WRs that the staff likes in Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee in 2023, but their opportunities were limited with the Rebels leaning heavily on the transfer trio of Tre Harris, Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. praised Williams and Lee for their mindset, alluding to bigger roles next season despite a crowded WR room that is set to add more star power than it loses.

"We're really, really excited about those two," Weis said. "They're going to be special."

Lee got his most significant opportunity of the season in the Peach Bowl, more than doubling his season total with 79 snaps as Watkins battled an injury. He caught three passes for 29 yards.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football: 4 things Peach Bowl revealed about 2024 season