Ole Miss DL Walter Nolen Looking to Show Elite Skills at 2025 Senior Bowl

Nolen recently spoke with On3's Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman about the next steps in his NFL journey in Mobile at the Senior Bowl.

Oct 12, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Walter Nolen (2) reaches to knock the ball loose from LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Defensive lineman Walter Nolen was an absolute monster for the Ole Miss defense this season, eating double teams in the run game while showing his ability to rush the passer and cause pressure at a high clip. Nolen was special and will be a difficult guy to replace for the Rebels entering 2025.

Nolen's next steps towards the NFL Draft start in Mobile, Alabama, at the Senior Bowl, a place where the best talent in the country converges with one goal in mind: flash on the biggest stage and evolve into a first-round pick. A lot of money can be made for some of these big-time prospects, including Nolen who is being projected as a first-round pick by many of the top NFL analysts.

Nolen recently sat down with Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman of On3 to discuss how he could become the NFL's next dominant defensive tackle, and part of that fight takes place mentally.

"In this day and age, there are a lot of people that have mental battles," Nolen said. "You never know what a person is struggling with. Using that negative energy and turning it into positive energy and not let the negative control your day."

Nolen will have the opportunity in Mobile to showcase his talents in drills and in a game setting, and with so many NFL scouts watching, he knows that he will have to execute at a high level.

"I'm going to do the same thing I have been doing but times ten: relentless effort every rep," Nolen said. "In this situation, you've got to feed your family, and the person across from you trying to stop you. It's really just man versus man."

Nolen transferred to Ole Miss last offseason from Texas A&M, and even though he only spent one season in Oxford before heading to the NFL, he believes that his time with the Rebels was beneficial for his career trajectory, especially now that the pre-draft process is underway.

"Going to Ole Miss especially, I just felt like it was time to wake people back up and trying to remind them of who I am and who I am going to be in the future," Nolen said.

Nolen was a huge part of Ole Miss' success on defense in 2024, posting 26 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. The Rebels allowed 80.46 rushing yards per game and led the country in yards per attempt at 2.2.

Nolen as well as some other Rebels will take the field in the Senior Bowl on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT on NFL Network.