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Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels continue working through a critical offseason in Oxford with the program reconstructing the roster.
With the spring window of the NCAA Transfer Portal officially open for business, Ole Miss has seen multiple Rebels elect to enter the free agent market.
Despite the program seeing members of the 2025 spring roster depart, the Rebels remain on the prowl to bring in more talent via the portal.
Which members of the current Ole Miss roster have departed Oxford this week?
The Transfer Portal Departures:
Akelo Stone: Defensive Lineman
Ole Miss defensive lineman Akelo Stone is set to officially enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after two seasons in Oxford, according to On3 Sports.
Stone, who initially joined the Rebels after three seasons with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, appeared in 11 games for Lane Kiffin's program in 2024.
After double-digit appearances, Stone finished the season with 15 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one quarterback hurry and a pass breakup last season.
Stone will be exercising his sixth season of eligibility at his next destination.
Sources confirmed to @OMSpiritOn3 veteran defensive tackle Akelo Stone is, indeed, transferring.
— Ben Garrett (@SpiritBen) April 18, 2025
He’s heard from, among others, Florida State, Michigan State and UNC.
Details: https://t.co/COo5UFdEa8 pic.twitter.com/DQ4yhNl7DL
With the Ole Miss defensive line undergoing an overhaul this offseason, the expectation was that Stone would see significant playing time.
The Rebels have lost their entire starting unit up front in Walter Nolen (defensive tackle), Princely Umanmielen (EDGE) and Jared Ivey (defensive end) all departing for the 2025 NFL Draft. The trio remains high on NFL Big Boards.
Stone played 286 snaps for the Rebels while taking reps with both the defensive unit and the special teams unit throughout his time with Ole Miss.
He wrapped up his stint in Oxford with 27 total tackles (12 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and a pass breakup across two seasons.
Jordan Simmons: Running Back
The Rebels saw running back Jordan Simmons, who only spent the spring with Ole Miss, also enter the portal this week.
Simmons, who transferred in from Akron during the winter window of the Transfer Portal, departs after less than a handful of months with the program.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder will search for a new home in what will be his final season of eligibility during the 2025 season.
Simmons departed the Akron program after leading the Zips with 664 yards and two touchdowns across 11 games in 2024.
Prior to making the move to Akron, Simmons spent four seasons with the Michigan State Spartans where he accumulated 520 total yards on 34 carries during his time in East Lansing.
I have decided to re-enter the transfer portal as a post-bachelor student-athlete with one year of eligibility remaining. I want to sincerely thank Ole Miss for the opportunities and support. I am now excited and open to exploring the next chapter in my journey.@247PortalUpdate
— Jordon Simmons (@_jaythegr8_) April 16, 2025
During Spring Camp in Oxford, it was LSU transfer Logan Diggs and Kewan Lacy handling the majority of reps across the double-digit practices.
For Simmons, he's made a business decision in order to find instant playing time at his next destination.
“I have decided to re-enter the transfer portal as a post-bachelor student-athlete with one year of eligibility remaining,” Simmons wrote via social media.
“I want to sincerely thank Ole Miss for the opportunities and support. I am now excited and open to exploring the next chapter in my journey.”
Jarnorris Hopson: Wide Receiver
Jarnorris Hopson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after one season in Oxford, according to On3 Sports.
The well-traveled wideout made his way to Ole Miss following stints as walk-on with Mississippi State in 2022 and one season with Northwest Mississippi Community College in 2023.
Now, the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder has elected to depart Lane Kiffin and the Rebels after one season with the program.
Ole Miss wide receiver Jarnorris Hopson has entered the transfer portal, @On3sports has learned.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) April 18, 2025
Former Mississippi State transfer. https://t.co/wMrfFrcNOy pic.twitter.com/78FprKWjY8
Hopson was a Top-100 JUCO prospect following one season with Northwest Mississippi. He was a Top-15 wide receiver available once he signed with the Rebels a season ago.
During his breakout season at the JUCO level, Hopson posted 35 receptions for 443 yards and four touchdowns.
The Mississippi native is now back on the market after a pair of seasons in the SEC with both the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels.
More Ole Miss News:
Ole Miss Quarterback Confident He's "The Best" QB in the 2025 NFL Draft
Top-10 Quarterback in America Locks in Ole Miss Visit
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels Confirm Spring Game Plans in April
More must-reads:
- Central Michigan facing NCAA discipline over Connor Stalions scandal
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- The 'NFL stadium names' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Colorado's Deion Sanders reveals massive medical problem he's been battling this offseason
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders detailed the medical issue he has battled throughout the offseason in a Monday news conference. The coach, who turns 58 on Aug. 9, wasn't with his team during summer camp in June. The Pro Football Hall of Famer revealed it was because he had previously been diagnosed with bladder cancer. The tumor was discovered during a routine vascular scan. Sanders' doctor, Janet Kukreja, said her team removed his bladder and used parts of his intestine to create a new one. The cancer is now gone, and he will continue to coach this season. "The process wasn't easy," Sanders said of the doctors giving him multiple options to treat the cancer. Sanders said he was aware of the surgery before the NFL Draft in April. However, he told his sons, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur and Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Shilo, that he just had a foot issue. The coach explained he didn't want his sons to have more to worry about as they prepare for their NFL careers. "I wanted them to focus on making the team and not focused on Dad," Deion Sanders said. "So they really don't know. My daughters do and this joker right here. Much love to my son, [Deion Sanders Jr.], who [didn't] leave my side since we found what was taking place." Deion Sanders said he's still adjusting to changes after the surgery. The coach has a catheter and said Colorado will have a porta-potty on the sideline, just in case he needs to use the bathroom during practices or games. Deion Sanders made a will in May, according to a clip posted to Deion Sanders Jr.'s YouTube channel on Sunday. The coach, though, isn't letting the fear of death weigh on his mind. "I've got too much life in me to be thinking about death — we gotta win a darn championship," he said. Deion Sanders' health is still a concern. He has had 14 surgeries (including the removal of his bladder) since 2021. For now, he appears eager to return to coaching after overcoming one of the biggest medical problems of his life.
Yankees’ planned fire sale after Aaron Judge injury epitomizes roster weakness
Would the New York Yankees still be a heavyweight contender without Aaron Judge? Most fans would doubt it. What comes as a shock is that Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, appears to agree. According to MLB insider Andy Martino of SNY, Cashman had explored the option of selling ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline (6 p.m. EST) if Judge’s flexor strain had turned out to be something worse. Martino wrote this: “[On Saturday], we relayed that the Yankees were floating some of their free-agent-to-be relievers in preliminary trade talks. We have since learned through league sources that last week the Yanks brought up Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one other club.” It would be strange to see a team with a record well above .500 shop core hitters at the deadline. Both Bellinger and Goldschmidt — hitting .281/.333/.507 with 19 home runs and .283/.341/.419 with eight home runs respectively entering Tuesday — have been valuable producers for the Yankees this year. Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal with the Bronx Bombers over the offseason while Bellinger was acquired via trade with the Cubs. He is signed through 2026 but has a player option at the end of the year. Either player would bring a nice haul back to the Yankees. Of course, the reigning AL MVP’s injury doesn’t seem to be a season-altering, ‘abandon ship’ type of event. Optimistically, Judge should be back soon. But this does serve to illustrate how the team’s success is dependent on one player. Beyond Judge, the Yankees’ batting order doesn’t feature a star-caliber player, or at least a player the lineup can be built around. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, New York lacks enough solid hitters to be considered a worthy contender without Judge. The Yankees’ three bottom-of-the-order hitters — Austin Wells (.214), Anthony Volpe (.213) and newest acquisition Ryan McMahon (.223) — all own batting averages below .230 entering Tuesday. And this doesn’t include J.C. Escarra (.205), Oswald Peraza (.152) or even Ben Rice (.229). If Judge was lost for the season, selling wouldn’t have been a bad idea. He is insoluble glue holding the battered Yankees’ roster together, especially with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt gone for the year. No one on the trade market could replace him, but with Judge coming back, the Yankees might have enough firepower to at least limp to the finish line.
Report: Bengals draw hard line in Trey Hendrickson contract talks
Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been holding out from training camp as he seeks a new contract, and it does not sound like the two sides are all that close to a deal. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on "SportsCenter" Monday that there has been "some progress" in negotiations between the Bengals and Hendrickson's representatives over the past week or so. The real disagreement has to do with guaranteed money, and Cincinnati's brass is not budging. "Hendrickson wants a stronger guaranteed structure, particularly later in what should be a multiyear deal. In talking to people with the Bengals they feel like, 'Hey, we've probably relented as far as we can go.' So this is a classic stare-off right now, and it's time to buckle up," Fowler said, via Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report. Hendrickson is set to earn $16M in base salary in the final year of his contract this season. He recently said he has shown a willingness to take less than market value on a new deal, but the Bengals do not want to guarantee him money beyond the 2026 season. Based on what he has said, the 30-year-old Hendrickson is not seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football. In order to accomplish that, he would have to top the three-year, $123M extension T.J. Watt signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Hendrickson had 35 sacks over the past two seasons, which was the most in the NFL during that span. He had 17.5 sacks each season and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024. The Bengals took care of one major offseason issue on Sunday when they finally signed first-round pick Shemar Stewart to a rookie deal. All it will take is one side to budge in the team's ongoing stalemate with Hendrickson, but all parties seem to be dug in as training camp rolls on.
Yankees reportedly interested in Pirates left-hander
The Yankees have interest in Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman adds that the Yankees, and the Mets, have checked in on Joe Ryan of the Twins and MacKenzie Gore of the Nationals. However, he downplays the likelihood of anything coming from those pursuits. Similarly, Heyman mentions that the Yankees reached out to the Pirates about Oneil Cruz but says nothing is likely to come from that either.P The Yankees have been connected to plenty of starting pitchers recently. That includes some potentially notable upgrades like Dylan Cease or Mitch Keller, as well as more back-end types like Chris Paddack, who was traded from the Twins to the Tigers yesterday. Heaney is more in the latter category at this stage of his career. He’s had some tantalizing strikeout stuff in the past but that’s not the case this year. In 107 innings for the Pirates, he has a 4.79 earned run average and a subpar 17.2% strikeout rate. His season got off to a strong start but he’s been in a rough slide lately. Through his first 14 starts, he had a 3.33 ERA, though with a subpar 18.5% strikeout rate. He was getting a bit of help from his .234 batting average on balls in play and 81.8% strand rate. His FIP and SIERA were both 4.44 for that span, suggesting those metrics thought it was a mirage. They were proven correct when Heaney posted an 8.79 ERA over his next six starts. It’s not the most exciting set of numbers but the Yanks might just want a veteran to take the ball every five days. As mentioned, they were interested in Paddack, who has similar numbers to Heaney this year. Paddack posted a 4.95 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate before his trade. The Yankees have lost Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery but still have a strong one-two atop the rotation in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. They have been without Luis Gil all year so far but he’s on the cusp of a return. Will Warren is having a good season on the whole. Adding a vet would allow the Yanks to perhaps move Cam Schlittler back to Triple-A or bump Marcus Stroman to long relief or off the roster. It’s been a rough stretch for the Yankees, as they have fallen into a tight Wild Card race. Entering today, they are only a game and a half ahead of the Rangers, who are the top team not currently in possession of a playoff spot. Heaney wouldn’t be in the club’s planned playoff rotation but he could upgrade the staff for the stretch run. Schlittler has just two big league outings under his belt while Stroman has a 6.08 ERA in his eight starts this year. Heaney shouldn’t cost much in terms of prospect capital and is also making just $5.25M this year. There’s now less than $1.75M of that still to be paid out. Since the Yankees are a third-time competitive balance tax payor and are over the top tier, they face a 110% tax on any additional spending. The Yankees could pursue a more impactful upgrade and it seems like they have looked into the possibility. However, all reports have suggested that a trade of either Gore or Ryan would be a long shot. Both pitchers are affordably controlled for two years after this season, making them very valuable to their respective clubs. It would likely take a massive prospect haul to pry either player loose. It’s basically the same story with Cruz, who is controlled for three seasons after this one.
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