Ole Miss Is Quietly Becoming One of College Football's Best NFL Pipelines

Year after year, Ole Miss players are hearing their names called on draft weekend. The Rebels may have quietly built one of college football’s strongest paths to the NFL.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss Athletics

From 2010 to 2018, Ole Miss had 25 players who were selected in the NFL Draft. But with many coaching changes since then, Ole Miss has developed 31 NFL Draft selectees over the past seven seasons.

Other schools such as Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State are viewed as "NFL factories", and since Ole Miss' football resurgence, the Rebels have quietly built a case to be a part of that conversation.

Is Ole Miss now one of the best programs in the country at developing NFL talent?

The Draft Results Back It Up

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart celebrates his touchdown run as Auburn Tigers take on Mississippi Rebels at Jordan-Hare Stadium | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss has steadily built up their presence in the NFL over the past couple of seasons. Instead of producing a prospect or two, the Rebels are sending multiple players to the draft every year.

In 2025, Ole Miss had a program-best eight selected players in the NFL Draft during the seven-round era; Walter Nolen (No. 16) and Jaxson Dart (No 25) were both selected in the first round. Since 2019, Ole Miss has sent several talented wide receivers to the NFL, including A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf (2019), Elijah Moore (2021), Jonathan Mingo (2023), Tre Harris (2025), and De'Zhaun Stribling (2026).

Ole Miss isn't only sending a lot of players to the NFL, but the players they are sending are all quality athletes. The Rebels aren’t producing early picks at one position. In 2025 alone, they had a quarterback, defensive tackle, wide receiver, cornerback, and edge rusher all selected in the first three rounds.

A pipeline isn’t just about getting players drafted. Early-round selections indicate NFL front offices view Ole Miss prospects as players who can contribute quickly, rather than developmental late-round projects.

Many Rebels are finding a lot of success in the NFL, with elite receivers like A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf, franchise offensive linemen like Laremy Tunsil, and productive pass-catching tight ends like Dawson Knox and Evan Engram.

Why the Pipeline Should Continue

Ole Miss is beginning to move from occasional NFL success to consistent production.

The Rebels have several players on the roster who are more than capable of keeping the trend going. Players like Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, Suntarine Perkins, and Will Echoles are expected to be selected within the first three rounds. Deuce Alexander and Keaton Thomas could join them, assuming they take massive leaps this season.

Head Coach Pete Golding is capitalizing on this success; the 2027 Ole Miss recruiting class already has a program-best 14 four-star commitments, and it's July. Golding is letting the country know that, despite the recent head-coaching change, this pipeline isn't going anywhere.

Ole Miss' selectees and expected selections are from every position group, further establishing that Ole Miss has a legitimate pipeline for the NFL Draft.

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