OXFORD — Dae’Quan Wright watched Ole Miss’ win over Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl late last December in Atlanta.

So he knew Ole Miss tight end Caden Prieskorn caught 10 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the Rebels’ 38-25 victory. He knew Prieskorn had already made it public he was returning to Ole Miss for the 2024 season.

Wright, who caught 28 passes for 366 yards last season for Virginia Tech transferred to Ole Miss anyway.

“Coming in as a junior, when I first got here, I just wanted to, get comfortable,” Wright said Thursday following Ole Miss’ practice earlier in the day. “Get comfortable around the guys, build relationships, and that's been great. Being beside Caden, you know, he's a good tight end. …Now, being beside him is pretty good for me because it let me showcase my talents and we complement each other on the field.”

The decision to come to Ole Miss, Wright said, really came down to Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin “and his past and what he did with tight ends and stuff like that. It's really him and how he used them and how I watched Caden, you know, go crazy in the ball game, how he was used and stuff like that. That kind of got my attention. …It didn't really bother me because with two tight ends, it's kind of scary in our offense.”

Wright, a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder from Perry, Ga., said he viewed his decision to come to Ole Miss as a two-year choice.

“I have a lot of unfinished business,” Wright said. “I just want to make the best of it.

Virginia Tech is considered one of the sneaky picks in the ACC this year. The Hokies return most of both starting units, meaning many of Wright’s former teammates are still in Blacksburg.

“It was kind of hard to leave,” Wright said. “Just the relationships, you know, I built with them and stuff like that. That's what made it hard. But I was really set with my decision, though.

“I never regretted it, though.”

REBELS BACK TO WORK ON THURSDAY: Ole Miss practiced in full pads Thursday morning. There appeared to be very few status changes during the three periods (approximately 15 minutes) of media availability.

— Defensive linemen Princely Umanmielen and DeeJay Holmes Jr. were in black (signifying no-contact) jerseys but working with the other defensive linemen.

— Wide receivers Juice Wells and Jordan Smart and defensive back Brandon Turnage were in black jerseys working with Ole Miss training staff away from their position groups.

— Offensive lineman Caleb Warren was not working his unit group during the period available to media. Instead, the veteran center/guard was on an exercise bike.

— Wide receiver Tre Harris was in a black jersey again Thursday, but the preseason All-SEC selection was working with his position group.

— Defensive backs Jerrell Stinson and Harrison Craig were once again in black jerseys working with the Rebels’ secondary during the period available to media.

— During the periods of Thursday’s practice open to media, tight end Hudson Wolfe was not present. Wolfe was wearing a black jersey on Tuesday evening.

— The Baltimore Ravens had a scout at Thursday’s session.

— During the brief team session open to media Thursday, the offense was working with a unit that consisted of quarterback Jaxson Dart, running back Henry Parrish Jr., wide receivers Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee, tight ends Caden Prieskorn and Dae’Quan Wright and offensive linemen Jayden Williams, Nate Kalepo, Gerquan Scott, Julius Buelow and Micah Pettus. The defense working against that unit consisted of defensive linemen Jared Ivey, Zxavian Harris, Suntarine Perkins and Jamarious Brown, linebackers Khari Coleman and TJ Dottery and defensive backs Isaiah Hamilton, Yam Banks, John Saunders Jr., Trey Amos and Trey Washington.