An Important Ole Miss Player is Withdrawing From the MLB Draft

The MLB Draft is set to get underway in Philadelphia ahead of the All-Star festivities. This draft class is loaded, and several Ole Miss players expect to hear their names called.

Coming off a successful season, including a College World Series berth, the Rebels will undergo a lot of change this offseason. Mike Bianco has addressed that through the transfer portal.

Ole Miss added eight pitchers through the portal, but it appears one of their top arms from last season is returning to Oxford.

Hunter Elliott is Returning to Oxford

Mississippi Rebels relief pitcher Hunter Elliott pitches. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Per his social media page, it appears starting pitcher Hunter Elliott is withdrawing his name from the MLB draft and will return to Ole Miss next season. The caption on his post was brief: "Unfinished business."

This is obviously massive news for the Rebels pitching staff. This will be his sixth collegiate season, but it's worth noting that Elliott made one start as a sophomore in 2023 but was sidelined due to an elbow injury. It also cost him his entire 2024 season.

Elliott was a part of the 2022 team that won the national championship. He started the championship-clinching game against Oklahoma, where he threw 6.2 innings and allowed two runs with six strikeouts.

Many thought Elliott would continue to build off his freshman year, but as mentioned earlier, the elbow injury set him back. His 2026 season had some up-and-down moments.

Elliott operated as the primary Friday starter and made 17 starts. He posted a 5-3 record with a 5.40 ERA. He led the team in strikeouts (111) and innings pitched (85.0).

Elliott became the third Ole Miss pitcher to record 300 career strikeouts and the first to post 100 punch outs in back-to-back seasons. He was also named to the 2026 SEC All-Defensive Team.

Elliott's Return Brings Stability

With Taylor Rabe and Cade Townsend expected to move on to the next level, Elliott provides some much-needed stability in the rotation. Elliott struggled in the postseason, but having as much experience as he does is a huge benefit for the rest of the staff.

Now, Bianco knows who his Friday starter will be for the season. He'll have to figure out the other three days. The Rebels added starting pitchers Kendell Hoffman (Houston), Eli Pillsbury (Jacksonville State), and Brent Stukes (USC Upstate) in the portal.

Hoffman will likely take one of the weekend starter roles. He was a reliable arm for Houston last season. Pairing him with Elliott gives Bianco a formidable pitching duo.

Although the Rebels came up short in 2026, Elliott will return to help the team try to capture its second national championship in 2027.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google