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Ole Miss to honor Corey Adams’ 'vibrant spirit and innate leadership' this season with helmet tribute

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Berry | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 9:03 PM ET

On Thursday, Ole Miss unveiled its latest Realtree helmet design. It also released a special honor to a fallen teammate. The Rebels will sport a special decal to honor fallen teammate Corey Adams this season.

Adams was an 18-year-old freshman defensive lineman for the Ole Miss Rebels who tragically lost his life in a shooting July 19, 2025, in Cordova, Tenn. A native of New Orleans (La.), Adams enrolled in January as an early enrollee – preparing to begin his college football career. At 6-feet-4 and 235 pounds, he was a standout player at Edna Karr (La.) – earning All-State honors twice and finishing his senior season with 62 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 19 sacks.

This gesture serves as a reminder of the lost potential and the impact he had on those around him during his brief time with the program on and off the field. Adams was known for his aggressive playing style and confidence on the field, which earned him recognition as a promising young athlete.

He received offers from several Power 4 programs – including LSU, Southern Cal, and Texas A&M, before signing with Ole Miss.

The Rebels will honor Corey Adams this season with a helmet decal. https://t.co/oQF8RZgfIC pic.twitter.com/AnVD3oqUYm
— Ole Miss Uniform Archives (@OleMissUnis) August 21, 2025

Despite only being on campus for seven months, Corey Adams left a mark.

“He was just with us for a short time, but he made a major impact on us by how he worked, who he was, how he led even as a freshman,” Lane Kiffin said of Adams. “Very rarely do we ever have a freshman that in offseason conditioning and running was challenging seniors to finish in a standard. That’s who he was. Just a tragic passing.

A few weeks ago, The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported no arrests had been made in the shooting. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to help investigate.

Adams was the only person fatally shot in the incident, though four other people were also injured. The shooting allegedly took place at a pool party when he and a few teammates were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 528-CASH. There is reportedly a $4,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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