OXFORD — Cayden Lee is starting his third season at Ole Miss.

In college football parlance, he’s essentially a graybeard.

Lee was on the field Tuesday for the start of spring practice, and his uniform doesn’t include a pocket to hold a roster for quick reference.

Instead, the Kennesaw, Ga., native is having to learn his new teammates the old-fashioned way.

“I actually try to do something different,” Lee said. “I try to talk to somebody new every day, figure out where they’re from, figure out their past school or high school and try to be able to talk to everybody so that when that time comes during the season, I can talk to them.”

Lee admitted he’s “at about 75 percent right now” on instant recall associating new faces with correct names.

Lee caught 57 passes for 874 yards and two touchdowns last season for an Ole Miss team that finished 10-3 with a win over Duke in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Almost all of those receptions came on balls thrown by Jaxson Dart, who is now working his way up NFL draft boards.

Austin Simmons is a relatively new face on the field, but the new starting Ole Miss quarterback is anything but a stranger to Lee. The pair have been fast friends for a while now, and the duo is building chemistry on and off the field.

“We’ve gotten really close this past offseason,” Lee said. “As far as a player, he’s the player we all expect him to be. His arm is one-of-a-kind.”

Lee said Simmons is “a goofy guy,” noting that the Rebels’ new starter talks more than people would expect. He said Simmons’ confidence is palpable.

“I feel like now he’s starting to realize how good he really is,” Lee said. “That’s a big step in everybody’s game.”

As for Lee, he’s having to embrace his veteran status this spring. With veterans such as Jordan Watkins, Tre Harris and Caden Prieskorn gone, his voice has to resonate with the newcomers that were brought in to replace them.

“I try to be more vocal recently. In the past, I kind of stayed back and to myself and control what I can control. But now I try to motivate the younger guys, tell the older guys some routes that they don’t know yet and pick the team up where it’s necessary.”

Lee played much of last season injured. At times, he struggled to walk during the week as he prepared for that Saturday’s game. However, Lee said he got “some work” done on his body.

“I feel really good and healthy, very explosive,” Lee said. “I’ve gained some weight, so I feel like I’m bigger and can take some of those hits better now.”

Ole Miss returns to the practice field on Thursday. The Rebels open the 2025 season on Aug. 30 versus Georgia State in Oxford.