LINCOLN, Ala. and WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- I've been on the road all weekend and won't get home until Tuesday night, so these are likely to be short and maybe even a bit scattered.
I've got a good bit of travel ahead -- a graduation, a wedding, a summer trip and maybe more -- so we're entering the part of the year when 10 Weekend Thoughts isn't consistently a Sunday evening piece, but I'll do my best.
1. First, here's the overall draft wrap-up from Ole Miss Media Relations:
Ole Miss football concluded the 2025 NFL Draft with eight selections, the most of any Rebel draft class since the beginning of the seven-round format in 1994 and the second-most in the modern history of the NFL since the AFL-NFL merger in 1967.
Three more Rebels heard their names called for Day Three on Saturday: wide receiver Jordan Watkins to the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round (138th overall), linebacker Chris Paul Jr. to the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round (172nd overall), and defensive tackle JJ Pegues to the Las Vegas Raiders in the sixth round (180th overall).Those three join a record five Rebels selected within the first three rounds across Day One and Day Two: defensive tackle Walter Nolen (Arizona Cardinals, 16th overall) and quarterback Jaxson Dart (New York Giants, 25th overall) in the first round; wide receiver Tre Harris (Los Angeles Chargers, 55th overall) and cornerback Trey Amos (Washington Commanders, 61st overall) in the second round; and defensive end Princely Umanmielen (Carolina Panthers, 77th overall) in the third.
Watkins is the first Rebel receiver ever taken by San Francisco, the first player taken by the 49ers overall since defensive tackle D.J. Jones in 2017 (sixth round, pick 198) and the highest taken by them since Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis in 2007 (first round, pick 11).
Watkins came to Ole Miss in 2022 by way of Louisville, and after three seasons with the Rebels he finished as one of the best all-time receivers to wear the Red and Blue. Watkins hauled in 142 passes for 2,096 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is one of 11 Rebels to ever break 2,000 career receiving yards, and he finished top-10 in the school record books in 100-yard receiving games (6), ninth in receiving yards (2,096) and tied for ninth in receptions (142).
In 2024 alone Watkins nabbed a team-leading nine touchdown receptions – the most since AJ Brown’s record 11 in 2017 – alongside 906 yards on 49 catches. But Watkins had no bigger day as Rebel than his historic dismantling of the Arkansas secondary last fall in which he broke Ole Miss single-game records in receiving yards (254) and receiving touchdowns (5) on eight total catches. Watkins’ performance stands as one of two in SEC history with 250 yards and five touchdowns receiving alongside Alabama Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, while Watkins also helped Ole Miss break or tie single-game team records in passing yards (562) and passing TD (7).
Paul Jr. is the highest drafted Ole Miss inside linebacker since Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis was taken 11th overall in 2007. Specifically for the Los Angeles Rams (which were also the St. Louis Rams), Paul Jr. is the highest-drafted Rebel since quarterback Norris Weese in 1974 (fourth round, pick 99) and the highest drafted Rebel defensive player ever selected by the LA Rams.
Paul Jr. – who goes by the nickname Pooh – was the field general at inside linebacker for the best rush defense in the nation and one of the overall best defenses in Rebel history during his one season with Ole Miss last fall. The Cordele, Georgia native earned several All-America honors – including a first-team nod from USA Today – and was a finalist for the Butkus Award, which is handed out annually to the top linebacker in the nation.
During the 2024 season, Paul Jr. led the Rebels with 88 total tackles (50 solo) and ranked fourth on the team with 11.0 TFL across 12 games played and 11 starts. He added 3.5 sacks, nine QB hurries, four pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Paul Jr. concluded the regular season ranked eighth in the SEC at 7.3 tackles per game, and he ended the whole season as PFF’s No. 7 overall defender in the SEC in both defensive season rating (87.2) and tackling (85.9). Paul Jr. ranked as PFF’s top linebacker in the SEC throughout 2024 and was their second-best linebacker in pass rush (84.0).
Pegues is the first Rebel selected by the Raiders since tight end Mario Perry was taken in the 11th round (pick 294) by the then Los Angeles Raiders. Pegues is the highest overall Rebel pick by the Raiders since wide receiver Tim Moffett in 1985 for the LA Raiders (Round 3, Pick 79), and he stands as the highest Rebel defensive selection all-time by the Raiders.
Pegues was one of the more versatile players available in the 2025 NFL Draft, as evidenced by his excellent three seasons with the Rebels in which he served as an effective player on both sides of the ball. Across 38 total games played and 23 starts at Ole Miss, Pegues accounted for 110 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, nine QB hurries, seven pass breakups and one fumble recovery. Pegues wrapped his Rebel career tied for 16th in Ole Miss history at those 26.5 TFL
But his value as an offensive weapon – helped greatly by his prior experience as a tight end – turned heads in 2024. In his career, Pegues rushed 26 times for 86 yards and seven touchdowns, while also catching a one-yard touchdown in the 2022 Egg Bowl – with all seven of those rushing scores and 69 of those rushing yards coming last fall alone. Those 42 points ranked third on the team and were the most ever scored by a Chucky Mullins Award winner, while his seven scores ranked as the most rushing touchdowns by a defender in the nation last year.
Pegues was also a crucial component of the best rush defense in the nation last fall, earning several All-SEC honors while contributing to national team leads in both sacks (52) and TFL (120) that both ranked as program records. Pegues was tied for third on the team with 13.5 TFL for 53 yards, which tied for the 10th-most in Ole Miss single-season history. Pegues added 3.5 sacks, five QB hurries, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup alongside his 42 total tackles.
Among interior defensive linemen, Pegues owned the third-most PFF-rated pressures in the SEC at 31, while also ranking fifth in run defense grade (81.8) and sixth in overall season grade (74.6).
An Oxford native, Pegues has also been heavily active in the community, as evidenced by his appearance as a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy and his two appearances on the SEC Community Service Team.
Several other Rebels could potentially be targets for undrafted free agent contracts in the coming days.
OLE MISS REBELS IN THE 2025 NFL DRAFT
Round 1, Pick 16 – Walter Nolen, DT, Arizona Cardinals – Recap | Highlights
Round 1, Pick 25 – Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants – Recap | Highlights
Round 2, Pick 55 – Tre Harris, WR, Los Angeles Chargers – Recap | Highlights
Round 2, Pick 61 – Trey Amos, CB, Washington Commanders – Recap | Highlights
Round 3, Pick 77 – Princely Umanmielen, DE, Carolina Panthers – Recap | Highlights
Round 4, Pick 138 – Jordan Watkins, WR, San Francisco 49ers – Recap | Highlights
Round 5, Pick 172 – Chris Paul Jr., LB, Los Angeles Rams – Recap | Highlights
Round 6, Pick 180 – JJ Pegues, DT, Las Vegas Raiders – Recap | Highlights
2. My thoughts:
-- Nolen took advantage of his year at Ole Miss, completely erased whispers about character and whatnot and emerged as a clear first-round pick. It's a credit to him, Lane Kiffin and Pete Golding. I firmly believe he wasn't dropping past 17.
-- I'm on record; I think Dart will be a franchise quarterback for a decade or more. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but the Giants clearly agree with me.
-- I just hope Harris can stay healthy. He's such a nice guy. The talent is there in spades.
-- Like Nolen, Amos came to Ole Miss for a season and raised his stock precipitously. That's what the program is selling in the portal.
-- Umanmielen went right where I thought he would -- top/middle of the third round. I suspect he's going to be a good pro.
-- I got to cover Watkins for three years. He was always a stand-up guy, sometimes an overlooked weapon for Ole Miss. I suspect he'll do well with the Niners.
-- I've seen people say Paul made a mistake leaving for the NFL. I get the argument, but I disagree with it. He wants to play in the NFL. He's not going to get bigger or faster, and he's healthy now. He's bet on himself a couple of times and watched It pay off. I understand his reasoning.
-- Everybody who has ever covered JJ Pegues is cheering for him. He's just an outstanding person.
3. I ran into former Ole Miss defensive end Jared Ivey on Sunday in Talladega.
He, like me, was at a Monster-sponsored meet and greet with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. He told me he had signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks. He'll head west this weekend.
I don't know why he wasn't drafted. I will freely tell you I'm not an NFL scout or talent evaluator. I'll just say I've covered Ivey for three seasons and I won't be even a little stunned if he has a strong NFL career. He's one of those people who just gets things done. He always made big plays when the time called for them and he made the routine plays routinely.
We live in a world defined by metrics, but I do believe heart, determination and work ethic -- things that can't be truly measured -- still get you places.
4. There's an overriding theme for Ole Miss in the draft.
Everyone from Ole Miss who was drafted -- and several non-drafted free agents -- came from the transfer portal.
Kiffin has built Ole Miss as a premier destination for players in the transfer portal. The results speak for themselves. Three 10-win (or more) seasons and now a major draft haul of guys who started their careers elsewhere.
As the spring evaluation period begins and the summer camp/visit season comes right after, keep that in mind. High school recruiting remains important, but it's never mattered less -- especially for programs that have shown they know how to thrive in the transfer portal.
Ole Miss is going to be highly selective in high school recruiting. If a player can't come in and contribute pretty quickly, it really makes no sense to sign that player -- not when you can get those players older and more developed a year or two down the road out of the transfer portal. Personally, I sort of think this new model sucks, but it's here and I don't think it's going anywhere.
Kiffin, who also thinks it sucks, has mastered it and built a perennial contender from it. So don't lose your minds in May and June if prospects commit elsewhere. Hell, I'd say the same if prospects commit to Ole Miss this summer, with months remaining until they can sign something remotely binding.
The draft showed Ole Miss is doing the portal right. There's simply no arguing that statement.
5. Here's a look at where the SEC race stands with three weeks remaining in the season:
Texas (19-2) -- The Longhorns swept Texas A&M and basically have a top-eight national seed wrapped before the calendar turns to May,.
Arkansas (14-7) -- The Hogs have now lost three straight SEC series but are in solid shape to host thanks to a hot start and avoiding sweeps.
LSU (14-7) -- The Tigers had a dramatic series against Tennessee and are poised for a crucial May in terms of earning a top-eight seed.
Tennessee (13-8) -- See LSU. The Vols can be scary good but they're more flawed than recent seasons.
Ole Miss (12-9) -- It's all there for Ole Miss. The Rebels just have to avoid disaster and stay steady and postseason baseball is likely in Oxford.
Vanderbilt (12-9) -- The Commodores avoided a sweep with a Sunday win.
Alabama (12-9) -- The Tide had to sweep Missouri and did. On to the next.
Georgia (12-9) -- The Bulldogs have cooled after a hot start.
Auburn (11-10) -- The Tigers have great metrics. They just have to win games.
Oklahoma (11-10) -- The Sooners are pesky and steady but I'm not sure they're good enough to get hot enough to host.
Florida (8-13) -- The Gators got two of three versus Arkansas. There's no margin for error moving forward.
Texas A&M (8-13) -- The Aggies are talented, but now their numbers are working against them. They might need a 6-3 SEC finish to make the field.
Mississippi State (7-14) -- The Bulldogs are almost out of time.
South Carolina (5-16) -- Realistically, it's over.
Missouri (0-21) -- Thankfully, it's almost over.
6. Here are my sure-to-go-laughingly wrong predictions for the weekend ahead in the SEC:
Texas 2 of 3 at Arkansas
Tennessee 2 of 3 versus Auburn
Florida sweep at South Carolina
Texas A&M 2 of 3 versus LSU
Vanderbilt 2 of 3 versus Alabama
Georgia sweep at Missouri
Kentucky 2 of 3 at Mississippi State
Ole Miss 2 of 3 at Oklahoma
7. The NBA Playoffs have entered their second week. Here are my thoughts on the first-round series as most near their conclusion:
-- Oklahoma City swept Memphis and now await the winner of the Clippers-Denver series. The Thunder won in different ways versus the Grizzlies, but their outside shooting should be an area of concern right now.
-- Denver and the Clippers are tied at 2-2. The Clippers appear to be the better team but Denver has found a way to win a pair. Games 5 and 7 (if necessary) are in Denver and the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic.
-- Minnesota leads the Lakers, 3-1. The Lakers are on the brink of elimination because they don't have any depth at all and because the Wolves have worn them down with defense.
-- Golden State leads Houston, 2-1. The Warriors' experience has hurt Houston, but the Rockets are far from dead. This one has a chance to go seven games.
-- Cleveland leads Miami, 3-0. This is just a mismatch. The Cavaliers are very good.
-- Indiana leads Milwaukee, 3-1. With Dame Lillard out, this is over. Will Giannis ask for a trade this offseason?
-- New York leads Detroit, 3-1. The Pistons got screwed a bit at the end of Game 4. Their future is bright.
-- Boston leads Orlando, 3-1. A gentleman's sweep is in the offing. Orlando has to find more scoring this offseason.
8. I'd never been to a NASCAR race prior to this weekend.
It's probably still not my thing, but I'll never make fun of it again. I don't understand pit strategy, so the end of Sunday's Talladega 500 was kind of confusing to me.
I met a couple of drivers pre-race, so I basically watched those guys on Sunday. I'd never heard of the guy who won, Austin Cindrick, so I didn't really understand the significance of what I was watching. Here's the AP story from Sunday, in case you want to read about it.
I was blown away by the skill of the drivers. Television doesn't do it justice. There were people everywhere, and while I'm not sure I fit in all that much, I respect and admire their passion. Everyone was incredibly nice.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 285 — Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake with Lavender Glaze.
A showstopper of an Easter dessert: bright, tender, and just floral enough. The lemon zest and ricotta keep it moist and springy, while the lavender glaze adds an elegant twist.
The Chef’s Tidbits
— Ricotta = Moisture: Ricotta gives this cake a luxurious texture and pairs beautifully with citrus.
— Lavender, Gently: Use food-grade dried lavender sparingly—a little goes a long way.
— Make It Ahead: This cake stays moist for days and actually tastes better the next day.
Things You Will Need:
Serving: 8–10 slices Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 45–50 minutes
Utensils Needed:
Bundt pan or loaf pan Stand or hand mixer Microplane for zest Whisk
Ingredients Needed:
1½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup almond flour (optional, for texture) 2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 1 cup sugar Zest of 2 lemons 3 eggs ¾ cup ricotta cheese ½ cup melted butter (or olive oil) ¼ cup milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp lemon juice
For the Lavender Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar 1–2 tbsp milk or lemon juice ½ tsp dried culinary lavender, crushed (or steeped in warm milk)
Mise en Place:
— Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour your pan well.
— Zest lemons and crush lavender if using.
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Mix the Cake Batter
— In a bowl, whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.
— In another bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest, then whisk in eggs, ricotta, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.
— Fold in dry ingredients until just combined.
Step 2: Bake
— Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
— Bake for 45–50 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Step 3: Glaze
— Whisk powdered sugar with a little milk or lemon juice until pourable.
— Stir in crushed lavender or use milk that was steeped with it and cooled. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Final Step & Presentation:
Drizzle the glaze in soft swirls over the top and garnish with lemon zest or a few lavender buds. Serve in slices with tea, sparkling wine, or coffee.
From the Mississippian in Paris! Bon appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, football recruiting, basketball recruiting and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com.
Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
As the $476 million Dodgers face the $69 million Marlins, MLB’s payroll gap has never been wider
Joe Maddon thinks Major League Baseball has issues. You might find them relatable
The Cubs are playing with high hopes once again, which has Craig Counsell smiling
The rise of Steven Kwan: How a ‘mental edge’ has helped unlock an undersized MLB star
Anthony Edwards and the complicated pathway to becoming the face of the NBA
Lakers’ bold second-half lineup adjustment worked — until it didn’t. Now what?
Did Shedeur Sanders and the NFL Draft finally break ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.? Roundtable
