Ole Miss’s Robert Nkemdiche suspended for bowl, declares for draft

Ole Miss defensive end Robert Nkemdiche’s college career has officially come to an end before the team has a chance to play in the Sugar Bowl, reports Patrick Ochs of the Sun Herald.

On Sunday, Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze released a statement in which he announced that both he and the school had told Nkemdiche that he had been suspended for the bowl game against Oklahoma State on Jan. 1.

Nkemdiche then released a statement of his own, thanking his teammates and coaches for his time at Ole Miss and confirming his intention to declare for the 2016 NFL Draft.

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

The junior was arrested on charges of marijuana possession after falling from a 15 foot wall at an Atlanta hotel. His room was searched following the incident, which sent him to the hospital with minor injuries, and authorities found multiple marijuana cigarettes.

Nkemdiche is expected to be one of the top picks in the Draft, going No.1 in SI.com’s mock draft earlier this season.

In 29 games at Ole Miss, Nkemdiche tallied 81 tackles, 16 for loss and six sacks.

Add us as a preferred source on Google