Mississippi has produced a ton of NFL talent on the defensive line. Don’t believe me? Look up where Fletcher Cox, Chris Jones, and Jeffery Simmons went to high school. After you’re done doing that, take a look at the trajectory Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles is on — and also where he spent his prep years.
To save you a few searches. Cox went to Yazoo City High School. Simmons went to Noxubee County High School. And, well, both Jones and Echoles went to Houston High School. Cox recently finished a 12-season run with the Philadelphia Eagles as a Super Bowl champion and a four-time All-Pro selection. Simmons is currently the league’s highest-paid defensive tackle, and Jones is widely considered the top player at his position.
Echoles will soon have a chance to prove himself as one of the Mississippi greats on the defensive line, an accolade Ole Miss is certainly hoping will come to fruition, especially given that the aforementioned pros spent their collegiate days at Mississippi State. And Echoles may certainly live up to the expectations, as he is currently generating first-round NFL Draft selection buzz once the 2026-27 campaign wraps up.
“It’s crazy. Me and Chris Jones are from the same hometown and the same city. Just for him to do what he’s done, and to see Jeffery Simmons, I think he’s the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league right now — just seeing what they’ve done and the success Mississippians have had in the league stands out,” Echoles said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. “I’m just happy to be on the list.”
Will Echoles approaches the upcoming season as one of the top-rated defensive tackles in college football.
Mississippi has a knack for producing talented DTs (Chris Jones, Fletcher Cox, Jeffery Simmons).
Echoles has a real chance to be one of those greats pic.twitter.com/5kd38DGFfz
— Caleb Salers (@calebsalersstm) July 22, 2026
Echoles finished the most recent campaign with 68 tackles (32 solo), five sacks, and five pass deflections, playing a key role in Ole Miss making it to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. He was disruptive in the interior, wreaking havoc on opposing offensive lines. With the upcoming season likely being his last in college, the junior has his sights set on being the top player at his position both in the SEC and nationally.
He also won’t be doing it alone. Ole Miss returns Jamarious Brown and Andrew Maddox on the interior of the defensive line and added Mississippi native Jeheim Oatis from Colorado and Michai Boireau from Florida to add depth Echoles believes was much needed as the team looks to build upon the success it had a season ago.
Ole Miss will begin the 2026-27 campaign versus Lousiville in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.