Former Aggies DL Walter Nolen Commits To Ole Miss

A breakout 2023 season fortified his recruiting grade as a five-star talent with tremendous All-American upside. In 11 games, Nolen recorded 37 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks to match his 27 pressures. 

Lane Kiffin continues to build a roster ready to contend for a College Football Playoff berth. Nicknamed the "Portal King" after stellar overhauls to the roster in 2021 and 2023, Kiffin has mainly focused on adding offensive pieces. 

Defensively, the Rebels have struggled to secure top names. This portal cycle, Ole Miss has heavily targeted defensive talent, including edge rushers Princely Umanmielen (Florida) and Tyler Baron (Tennessee), linebacker Chris Paul (Arkansas), and defensive back Tamarion McDonald (Tennessee). 

The Rebels also honed in on targeting SEC players. Offensively, Ole Miss recently grabbed the commitment of South Carolina receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells. 

The addition of Nolen should only fortify an improving run defense under second-year coordinator Pete Golding. This past fall, the Rebels allowed opponents to average 3.9 yards per run and gave up 19 rushing touchdowns. Ole Miss finished top 40 in both sacks (34) and tackles for loss (77). 

Since Kiffin's hiring in 2020, the Rebels have gone 33-15, finishing with double-digit wins twice (2021, 2023). Ole Miss could make program history with a win over No. 10 Penn State in the Peach Bowl, giving the program its first 11-win season. 

That, along with the surge of talent arriving or staying in Oxford this spring, should raise the standard for 2024. Ole Miss last finished ranked in the College Football Playoff poll's top 10 back in 2014 under then-coach Hugh Freeze. 

Nolen was considered the No. 1 player in the portal on multiple recruiting websites, including On3, 247Sports and ESPN. He is one of 13 players from A&M's 2023 roster to enter the portal since the end of the regular season. 

Nolen is also the fifth player to find his permanent home, joining quarterback Max Johnson (North Carolina), receiver Raymond Cottrell (Kentucky), defensive back Jardin Gilbert (LSU), and offensive lineman Jordan Spasojevic-Moko (Charlotte). 

The Aggies recently added via the portal in receiver Javon Harvey (Old Dominion), defensive back Will Lee III (Kansas State), linebacker Alex Howard (Youngstown State) and receiver Cyrus Allen (Louisiana Tech).

The Aggies close out the 2023 season at NRG Stadium in Houston against No. 20 Oklahoma State in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 at 8 p.m.