OXFORD — Caden Prieskorn has already emerged as one of the leaders of the Ole Miss football team.

And he hasn’t yet played a snap in a Rebel uniform.

The Memphis transfer portal tight end has drawn rave reviews this preseason camp, not only for his play on the field but also for his approach off of it.

That approach, Prieskorn said Monday, is largely a by-product of two things — his love for the game and his roots as a walk-on former quarterback at Memphis.

“It was very difficult being a 210-pound quarterback, getting to college, walking on and you’re putting your hand in the dirt the first day, not knowing anything,” Prieskorn said. “It’s been a long journey.

“I’m just ready to play football. I love to play football. I think it’s the best sport in the world and my love for the game is everything.”

Prieskorn figures to play a big role for No. 22 Ole Miss when the Rebels open the season Sept. 2 versus Mercer in Oxford. He reported to Ole Miss in January and had a huge spring, supplanting Michael Trigg as the starter and becoming a favorite target for quarterback Jaxson Dart.

“It’s been awesome,” Prieskorn said. “I feel like the carryover from the spring, I’ve adjusted well in this offense. I feel like with more and more reps, I’ve gotten more comfortable.

“(Dart) is a great quarterback. I feel like his arm talent, it’s been showing throughout camp. I feel like with him being more and more of a leader, in workouts, busting his butt every day, is showing who he is.”

Prieskorn dished praise on fellow tight ends Hudson Wolfe and Kyirin Heath Monday. He raved about running back Quinshon Judkins, specifically about the preseason All-American’s blocking skills.

“It’s awesome just how much he loves football,” Prieskorn said, referring to Judkins. “He had a block in practice where he was the lead block on a little sweep play and that just shows his unselfishness. He’s someone with all these awards and all this attention on him and that shows how good of a person he is. He’s a different human being.”

It was a glimpse into why he’s become such a popular teammate in such a short period of time. For his part, Prieskorn said he’s just not taking anything for granted in a sport he started later in life.

“I feel like I had to do everything right to get where I’m at today,” Prieskorn said. “I feel like I have a lot of that quarterback in me from my high school days and from Fork Union. I always have to do the right thing. I’m one of those people that always likes to lead by example, so I do the right thing on and off the field. I feel like that helps me.

“Even coming here, I already knew the SEC West is the best conference in football. Each and every year, it’s a battle each and every week and that’s something I want to be a part of. There’s nothing better than that. That’s one of the reasons I came here.”