As Pete Golding and company look to rebuild the Ole Miss secondary after losing a slew of contributors on last year’s 10-win squad, the Rebels have landed a safety who began his college playing days in the Magnolia State.
Wydett Williams, Jr., who spent the 2024 campaign at Louisiana-Monroe, is the newest member of the landshark defense in Oxford. In his lone season with the Warhawks, the 6-foot-2 defender logged 100 total tackles, 55 of which were solo, along with three interceptions, four pass deflections, one sack, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries. But before his time in Monroe, Williams spent two years under Todd Cooley’s guidance at Delta State.
While in Cleveland, Williams played an integral role in the Statesmen having one of the fiercest defenses in the Gulf South Conference. Paired with Patrick Shegog’s dominance on the offensive side, Williams’ excellence on the other end of the field helped keep opponents at bay. In his sophomore season, he amassed 62 total tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, and five pass deflections. Delta State won an average of 10.5 games per season in the safety’s two campaigns with the Fighting Okra.
As things stand, Williams joins fellow transfers Ricky Fletcher (South Alabama), Tavoy Feagin (Clemson), Kapena Gushiken (Washington State), Sage Ryan (LSU), Antonio Kite (Auburn), and Jaylon Braxton (Arkansas) as new secondary pieces on Lane Kiffin’s roster.
Ole Miss will begin the 2025 campaign at home against Georgia State on August 30.