Pete Golding’s first offseason at Ole Miss has already been busy, and now it may have opened the door to something even bigger.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Dan Murphy, former Rebels starters Dae’quan Wright, Zxavian Harris and defensive back Wydett Williams are among 16 former college players who were granted injunctions by a Louisiana judge. The ruling would allow them to return to college football this fall, and it also gives them the option to transfer to a new program if they choose.
That possibility matters in a hurry for Ole Miss, even if nothing is decided yet. Wright is still in NFL training camp with the Cleveland Browns, where he is fighting for a 53-man roster spot.
If he sticks there, the college route disappears. And even if he, Harris and Williams do come back to college, there’s no guarantee any of them end up back in Oxford.
They could just as easily explore the transfer portal and land somewhere else.
Still, the idea of bringing all three back would give the Rebels another jolt after an already strong offseason. Ole Miss has kept major pieces like Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, Will Echols and Suntarine Perkins, while also putting together one of the nation’s top transfer portal classes to fill almost every hole on the roster.
Wright would be the headliner on offense if he returns. Last season, he caught 39 passes for 635 yards and five touchdowns, including three grabs for 64 yards and a score against Miami in the College Football Playoff semi-final. Pair him with Luke Hasz and rising tight end Caleb Odom, and Ole Miss would have a dangerous group for Chambliss to work through.
Harris would bring impact up front. He was one of the Rebels’ best defensive linemen last season, posting a 73.8 defensive grade across 575 snaps, along with 21 total pressures and three sacks.
Williams, meanwhile, was a key piece in the Ole Miss secondary.
The twist is that the Rebels already look loaded at all three spots. At tight end, Hasz and Odom already give the room a strong ceiling.
At defensive tackle, Ole Miss has Will Echols and Jamarious Brown, plus portal additions Michai Boireau and Jehiem Oatis, along with depth options Kamron Beavers and Andrew Maddox. In the defensive backfield, Golding rebuilt the corner and safety groups with Jaylon Braxton, Antonio Kite, Nick Cull and Andy Jaffee returning, and Jalyn Crawford, Shariff Denson, Joenel Aguero and Edwin Joseph coming in.
So the Rebels may not be desperate for any of the three. But if Wright, Harris and Williams decide to come back to college and make their way to Oxford, Ole Miss could end up with a roster that feels even more complete.
In Other News...
Former Ole Miss TE Suddenly Sits At Center Of A Wild Eligibility Twist
Dae'Quan Wright has landed in a strange new spot for a player already in the NFL, with the Cleveland Browns rookie tight end entering the NCAA transfer portal and becoming the first active pro to do it. For Ole Miss fans, it is the kind of headline that instantly pulls an old name back into the conversation, because the former Rebels tight end is now tied to a legal and procedural shift that could open an unusual path back to college football.
A temporary restraining order from a Louisiana judge has put the NCAAs five-year eligibility clock under new pressure, creating a window for players with professional experience to potentially return to college. Wright is not alone in feeling out the edges of that ruling, as several other former NFL players are expected to explore the portal or pursue eligibility challenges, turning what once looked like a closed chapter into one of the sports most unexpected offseason storylines. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Suddenly Has A High Stakes Eligibility Fight To Watch
A new eligibility dispute has put three former Ole Miss players back in the spotlight, even as they are trying to move on to the next level. DaeQuan Wright, Wydett Williams Jr. and Zxavian Harris were part of a lawsuit against the NCAA that grew out of a federal court injunction for athletes in the 2022 recruiting class, a case tied to the leagues five-for-five plan and the push for a little more flexibility on college eligibility.
For Ole Miss, the practical stakes are easy to see. Wright and Williams are already in NFL training camp after signing as undrafted free agents, while Harris is part of the same legal picture that could reshape whether any of them have a college option waiting if pro football does not stick. It is the kind of ruling that can linger around a program long after the roster has turned over, especially when the next step for former Rebels is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Is Suddenly Tied To A Portal Situation No One Expected
DaeQuan Wright, a former Ole Miss tight end now with the Cleveland Browns, has become part of an unusual new wrinkle in college football after entering the NCAA transfer portal. The move makes him the first active NFL player to test this path, coming in the wake of a recent court ruling that opened the door for certain former NFL players to pursue college eligibility again.
For Ole Miss, the significance is less about a reunion and more about what this kind of ruling could mean for the roster-building landscape going forward. Pete Golding has already made it clear that timing and roster limits would make it unlikely for the Rebels to add players in this situation, and the NCAA is expected to appeal, leaving the whole development in a state of limbo for now. [Read more 🡒]