Midseason honors are piling up for members of the Ole Miss football team (5-2, 1-2 SEC) as fans remain disappointed in how the highly anticipated 2024 campaign has shaped up so far.
The nation’s current top wide receiver, Tre Harris, has joined veteran Rebel quarterback Jaxson Dart on the prestigious Maxwell Award watch list. Dart was placed on the list ahead of the season’s debut. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the best overall player in college football.
Harris is in the midst of a historic year as Dart’s go-to passing target. The Louisiana native currently leads the nation in receiving yards (987) and yards per game (141.0), while also leading the SEC in receptions per game (8.4) and receiving touchdowns (six).
Harris has had no fewer than 81 yards receiving in each game this season, breaking the century mark five times, 150 yards three times, and bursting through for a career-high 225 yards on 11 catches against Georgia Southern. He recorded the most pre-October receiving yards of the College Football Playoff era at 804 through five games, and currently grades out as the top-rated FBS receiver per Pro Football Focus at a 90.1 grade.
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive tackle Walter Nolen and linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr. join edge rusher Princely Umanmielen on the Bednarik Award watch list. Umanmielen, who has missed the last two games with an injury, was a preseason selection.
Nolen, a highly-coveted Texas A&M transfer, has been a powerful force on Pete Golding’s strong defensive line, currently ranking third on the team with six tackles for loss in addition to his 26 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two QB hurries, and one fumble recovery. Nolen ranks third nationally in PFF’s rush defense ratings among all interior defensive linemen at a 91.1 grade.
Paul, meanwhile, ranks not only as the top Rebel tackler at 48 total stops on the season but also as the SEC’s top-graded linebacker per PFF at a 90.9 grade — a second-best grade nationally. The Arkansas transfer ranks tied for second on the team in tackles for loss at seven, while he also owns 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and a team-leading seven QB hurries.
In addition to the players earning midseason recognition, head coach Lane Kiffin has been added to the Dodd Trophy watch list. The Dodd Trophy goes to the coach who enjoys success on the gridiron while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership, and integrity off the field. In his time as the Rebels’ frontman, Kiffin has compiled a 39-17 record, including the program’s first-ever 11-win season.
The latest announcements come as Ole Miss looks to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss at LSU in overtime. Heading into the latest campaign, fans, players, and coaches alike had bought in on the notion that this team could not only make a debut appearance in an expanded College Football Playoff, but also win the national championship.
With two early losses on the resumé, Kiffin and company have no margin for error and will likely have to win out to have a shot at being one of the 12 teams vying for a title. Ole Miss heads into a bye week and is scheduled to host Oklahoma at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, October 26 at 11 a.m. central time.