How Did Former Ole Miss Rebels Perform in NFL's Wild Card Weekend?

Following an exciting weekend of playoff football, let's check in on some former Ole Miss Rebels' performances.
Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (78) runs onto the field before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (78) runs onto the field before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC wild card game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The NFL playoffs kicked off this weekend with the Wild Card round where the Ole Miss Rebels saw 10 alumni suit up for action, but how did some of these former Rebs preform in the NFL's brightest lights?

Leading the charge for for the former Rebs this weekend is tackle Laremy Tunsil. The former All-American put on an edge-protecting clinic in the inaugural game of the weekend as the Houston Texans dominated in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12.

In this game Tunsil played in 73 snaps, only allowing one quarterback pressure while not allowing a single sack and did not commit a single penalty. Tunsil protected second-year quarterback CJ Stroud on 43-of-43 pass plays and did the dirty work for first-year Texan Joe Mixen on 30 run plays. As a team, Houston threw for 261 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 161 yards and a score.

Facing off against Tunsil was Chargers cornerback Deane Leonard who only played in 27 defensive snap but made his time worthwhile, recording a tackle and an interception in his short time on the field.

Moving up northeast into Buffalo, the Bills took on the Denver Broncos and saw another Reb-on-Reb matchup as DJ Jones of the Broncos lined up on the defensive line and Dawson Knox found himself at tight end in a snowy Bills victory on Sunday.

In the win, Knox brought in two receptions for 38 yards, including a massive 25-yard pickup to put Buffalo into plus territory on their opening possession, ultimately leading to a field goal.

While Knox came away with with the win, Jones can hold his head high as he recorded seven total tackles (5 of them as solos), a TFL and one of the Broncos' two sacks on the day, protecting the middle of the defensive line.

Staying up in the AFC and moving into the North division, the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to the rival Baltimore Ravens, where Baltimore dominated for the entirety of the game. This matchup saw two former Rebels face off, both on the defensive side of their respective teams.

Mark Robinson of the Steelers was kept in check. While he only played in five snaps for Pittsburgh he did not record a single statistic via PFF or ESPN.

On the other side was Tavius Robinson who also did not see a high snap total, but he made his presence known in his short time on the field as he racked up a solo tackle and a QB hurry on just 20 snaps played.

Flying into the NFC, two former Rebels had a wide receiver battle on a chilly Philly afternoon on Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles took down the Green Bay Packers 22-10. This the battle of wideouts was a bit lackluster, however.

AP Second Team All-Pro AJ Brown of the Eagles only brought in one catch, going for 10 yards on just three targets. This season, brown averaged seven targets a game and went for his third straight 1,000-yard season.

On the other side, Malik Heath of the Packers did not actually record a catch as he was targeted four times, including in what looked to be a for-sure grab, but he landed out of bounds, granting the target incomplete.

While some former Rebels will go home and reminisce on what could have been this season, the others will continue to push for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. For all the remaining Rebels, it would be their first Super Bowl victory.


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