The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels received fantastic news on Saturday, as senior receiver Jordan Watkins announced via social media that he will be returning to Oxford for his third and final season in 2024.
Watkins made his decision public by posting a highlight reel that concludes with the famous scene from "The Wolf of Wall Street" where Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) gives his electric speech about not leaving.
Watkins' announcement can be found here via X (formerly known as Twitter).
Ole Miss' NIL group, The Grove Collective, even posted its own "Staying in The Sip" graphic to commemorate Watkins' return.
This is huge for Ole Miss entering 2024, as the Louisville, Ky., native was the third-leading receiver for the Rebels this season, hauling in 53 receptions for 741 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 14.0 yards per catch. Since transferring from the Louisville Cardinals ahead of the 2022 season, Watkins has caught 93 passes for 1,190 yards and five touchdowns.
Ole Miss successfully retains a leader on offense for another season, and this decision could likely persuade others to return for one last hurrah. Fellow senior wideout Dayton Wade already declared his intentions to depart for the 2024 NFL Draft, but there are still a handful of impactful veterans who have yet to make a decision.
With Watkins officially in the fold for 2024, there will be no need to speculate on whether or not he will be participating in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl versus the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday Dec. 30.
Kickoff between Ole Miss and Penn State is set for 11 a.m. CT at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the game will be televised on ESPN.
More must-reads: