Ole Miss football transfer tracker: Who's leaving, joining Lane Kiffin and the Rebels
OXFORD — It is always transfer portal season when Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss football are in the conversation.
The Rebels were among college football's first to embrace the transfer portal and have continued to use it with great success, pulling the likes of Tre Harris, Caden Prieskorn, Zamari Walton and Daijahn Anthony out of the portal last offseason.
As Kiffin and the Rebels look to reload ahead of 2024, here's a look at which Ole Miss players have entered the portal and the reinforcements who are on their way to Oxford.
WHAT ARE THE REBELS NEEDS?: Ole Miss football transfer portal priorities: Three positions for Lane Kiffin to target
Ole Miss football players in the transfer portal
TE Jayvontay Conner
Conner is the first scholarship transfer portal entry for the Rebels during the spring period. The rising sophomore tight end played 10 snaps for Ole Miss as a true freshman. The Rebels are set at tight end with the returning Caden Prieskorn and the offseason transfer addition of Dae'Quan Wright.
QB Deljay Bailey
A nonscholarship quarterback, Bailey will enter the transfer portal following his freshman season with the Rebels, who have four scholarship quarterbacks on their roster.
S Ladarius Tennison
Tennison, who transferred from Auburn before the 2022 season, was a contributor for the Rebels in the defensive secondary and on special teams, but never broke through to become a regular starter in 2023.
RB Jam Griffin
A portal addition from Oregon State over the offseason, Griffin never earned much playing time on offensive, with most of his contributions coming on special teams.
Ole Miss running back Jam Griffin has entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @247sports.
Griffin, who transferred to the Rebels from Oregon State last year, ran for 488 yards at Oregon State in 2022. The former four-star recruit began his college… pic.twitter.com/0VwTgcTBdH— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 4, 2024
RB Quinshon Judkins
The most impactful portal departure for the Rebels since the onset of the NIL era, Judkins rushed for 1,158 yards this season to follow up a 1,567-yard freshman season in which he led the SEC in rushing yards.
— Quinshon Judkins (@qaj4_) January 4, 2024
WR Larry Simmons
Simmons arrived on campus for the 2022 season and played one snap as a true freshman but failed to see the field last season. The former three-star prospect has three years of eligibility remaining.
WR Jeremiah Dillon
Dillon arrived in 2022, touted as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite. The native of Tylertown, Miss. never appeared in a game for the Rebels.
Ole Miss WR Jeremiah Dillon (@JereDillo1) has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.
Dillon is a former 4-Star recruit from the 2022 class👀https://t.co/l6HDDPGq0I pic.twitter.com/Ad1YArnYMG— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) December 12, 2023
WR JJ Henry
Henry caught one pass for 11 yards for the Rebels in his second season in Oxford. The native Texan was a three-star prospect when he arrived.
Thank you Ole Miss ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/F3f8gfsU2Q
— JJ Henry. (@jjxenry) December 11, 2023
WR Bralon Brown
Brown caught two passes for 33 yards for the Rebels this season. The native of Florida is a former four-star prospect.
Ole Miss WR Bralon Brown (@bralonbrown11) has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.
The 6-3 190 WR is a former 4-Star recruit from the 2021 class👀https://t.co/l6HDDPGXQg pic.twitter.com/rLfXRoYqER— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) December 11, 2023
OL Cedric Melton
Melton appeared in three games for the Rebels this season. The redshirt junior is a native of Houston and a former three-star prospect.
LB Reginald Hughes
Hughes appeared in one game for the Rebels this season after playing in 12 a year ago. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
A DAWG is OFFICIALLY up for Grabs 🔒 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/8TqaGYa5ez
— Reginald Hughes (@reginaldh16) December 7, 2023
DB Demarko Williams
Listed as a safety, Williams played 153 defensive snaps for Ole Miss this season, with most of them coming at corner. The redshirt sophomore is a former three-star recruit.
After heavy consideration and discussions with my family about my future, I have chosen to enter my name into the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility left. Thank You Oxford.
— DemarkoJr (@DeMarkojr1) December 4, 2023
TE Kyirin Heath
Heath, a sophomore, appeared in seven games for the Rebels in 2023. The former three-star prospect caught four passes for 60 yards. Three of those receptions came in a Week 1 blowout of Mercer.
— Kyirin Heath (@Kyirin4) December 1, 2023
K Caden Costa
Costa, who served as the Rebels' main kicker in 2021, did not play last season and attempted just one field goal and six extra points in 2023.
Next chapter… Thank you Ole Miss💙 pic.twitter.com/dTg8iYcpM0
— Caden Costa (@CadenCosta13) November 30, 2023
WR Rayf Vinson
Vinson arrived in Oxford as a walk-on before the 2021 season. The Madison-Ridgeland Academy product contributed on special teams but did not catch a pass in an Ole Miss uniform.
Grateful for each and every opportunity. pic.twitter.com/6vf6Hu4r1C
— Rayf Vinson (@RayfVinson) November 28, 2023
Ole Miss football transfer portal commitments
CB Trey Amos
Amos began his career at Louisiana, where he starred for three seasons before making the move to Alabama for the 2023 campaign. He played 340 snaps in total for the Crimson Tide, with his role growing as the season progressed.
DB Brandon Turnage
Turnage is an Oxford native who spent two seasons at Alabama before moving on to Tennessee. A former four-star recruit, he is a versatile defensive back with 48 career tackles, six pass breakups and an interception.
CB Amorion Walker
Walker played sparingly for Michigan this season as a true sophomore. He's one of the most athletic players in all of college football, and gives a cornerback room that needs pieces an interesting option.
DB Yam Banks
Banks twice earned all-conference honors while playing for South Alabama in the Sun Belt. The Mississippi native will likely be a nickel corner for the Rebels and has one season of eligibility remaining.
TE Dae'Quan Wright
Wright, who played the first two seasons of his career for Virginia Tech, looks to be a nice depth addition at tight end for the Rebels. He caught 28 passes for 366 yards as a sophomore in 2023.
RB Logan Diggs
Diggs, who has played previously for Notre Dame and LSU, appeared in 10 games for the Tigers in 2023 and rushed for 653 yards and seven touchdowns. His health will be something to monitor after he left the bowl game with an injury.
OL Diego Pounds
Pounds started at left tackle for North Carolina last season, and brings the Rebels some size and experience at a position where they lost Victor Curne. A better pass-blocker than run-blocker, Pounds figures to slot into the starting offensive line in Week One next season.
DL Walter Nolen
Nolen, a former five-star prospect, is the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports' rankings. The Texas A&M defensive lineman posted 37 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2023. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
WR Devin Price
Price made five receptions in three seasons at Texas A&M before moving on to FAU last season, where he caught seven passes for 120 yards and a touchdown.
WR Juice Wells
Wells missed most of this season with an injury, but recorded a second-team All-SEC campaign in 2022, when he totaled 928 receiving yards.
DE Princely Umanmielen
Umanmielen recorded seven sacks for Florida on his way to a second-team All-SEC showing last season. The defensive end will have one season of eligibility to work with in Oxford.
S Key Lawrence
Lawrence started six games for Oklahoma last season, finishing the year with 44 tackles and two interceptions. The former Tennessee player will have one season of eligibility remaining.
G Gerquan Scott
Scott has started over 30 games at left guard through a four-year career with Southern Miss. Listed at 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, Scott figures to slot in on the left side of the Ole Miss line for the departing Quincy McGee.
S Louis Moore
Moore started 10 games for Indiana last season, becoming the Hoosiers' second-leading tackler with 52. The native Texan, standing at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, also brought down three interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus data, Moore split his time between free and box safety roles, with some slot corner mixed in. He has one year of eligibility left.
LB Chris Paul Jr.
Paul finished second among Arkansas defenders with 74 tackles last season. The inside linebacker arrives in Oxford with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
After a great visit with @OleMissFB, I’m excited to announce I am 1000% committed to the University of Mississippi!!🦈❤️ I want to thank all the coaches that extended multiple opportunities to me throughout this journey!! @Lane_Kiffin @CoachGolding pic.twitter.com/tX1IRTuTmL
— POOH (@PoohPaul4) December 9, 2023
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 transfer tracker: Additions, losses for Lane Kiffn