Hardie adds more star power to Ole Miss' revamped defensive line

Ole Miss made a late addition to its already-vaunted defensive line Sunday, landing a commitment from Jacksonville State transfer portal defensive end Chris Hardie.

The commitment was confirmed through his agency, A&P Sports Agency.

Hardie, a 6-foot-2, 270-pounder from Vincent, Ala., earned first-team All-Conference USA honors last season, recording 60 tackles and 8.5 quarterback sacks for the Gamecocks.

Hardie chose Ole Miss over a host of suitors, but his final three consisted of the Rebels, Oklahoma and UCF.

Hardie had 36 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2022. He played sparingly in 2020 and 2021. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

In 2023, he was twice named C-USA’s Defensive Player of the Week. He also returned Ann interception 58 yards for a touchdown in a win over Middle Tennessee.

Hardie joins a defensive line at Ole Miss that has been rebuilt via the portal. Former Texas A&M star Walter Nolen and former Florida star Princely Umanmielen joined Ole Miss in January. JJ Pegues and Jared Ivey, among others, return to the defensive line from an Ole Miss team that went 11-2 in 2023, beating Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

Umanmielen is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum. He is expected to return in time for the start of the season, but Hardie’s presence alleviates some of the pressure on Umanmielen to make a speedy return.

Ole Miss opens its season Aug. 31 in Oxford versus Furman.