'Help The Team!' Ole Miss Rebels WR Cayden Lee Looking For Bigger Role in Year 2

Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee is hoping to make a bigger impact for his team during his sophomore season.

Nov 18, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

OXFORD - Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee only recorded five receptions in his 2023 freshman season, but he has already turned heads entering his second year of play.

Lee is expected to play a bigger role with the Rebels this season, especially after hauling in three catches in his team's Peach Bowl win over Penn State in December. He's putting in impressive work during spring practice, and that's his goal: to make a bigger impact.

"Last year was a great season," Lee said this week. "Just great to come in as a freshman and just gel with the guys, but Year 2, I'm looking to play more of a role in the team and find my position, whether that's the slot or the outside. I'm moving back and forth right now, so just seeing how I can help the team the best."

Lee's appearance in the Peach Bowl was also his first collegiate start, but he didn't know he was going to be in the lineup until shortly before kickoff that week. It all boiled down to the status of veteran wide receiver Jordan Watkins, but Lee was able to take the field and put up 29 receiving yards in Ole Miss' 38-25 win.

"So that's actually a really funny story," Lee said. "I didn't know until a day or two before because it was up in the air what Jordan [Watkins] was going to do. We had just talked about it, and when they told me I was going to start, I was really excited for the opportunity. Just went in and did what I could do. Feel like I did a pretty good job."

The Ole Miss receiver room is led by a new face this season in assistant coach George McDonald who came to Oxford by way of the Illinois Fighting Illini. Although a coaching change can bring about a period of transition, the early returns on McDonald's presence have been positive, at least from Lee's perspective.

"I love Coach McDonald," Lee said. "I had a great relationship with Coach Nix, but Coach McDonald came in, and we gelled right away. Went out to eat, got some sushi, talked ball, and he's a really good coach. I know he's put a lot of people in the NFL and has a great record, so I'm excited to work with him."

That transition is eased, of course, when there's a veteran presence like Ole Miss has. The Rebels return key wide receiver names like Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins and have also brought in South Carolina's Juice Wells via the transfer portal.

For the younger receivers in the room, soaking up information from these experienced players is a must.

"It's great," Lee said. "I have a great relationship with all the guys. Just learning from them, they teach me a lot of stuff: releases, routes, how to define my routes more than they already are. Just being able to learn from them is great."

The Rebels will continue with their spring drills until April 13's spring game: the annual Grove Bowl. Ole Miss will then open its 2024 regular season on Aug. 31 at home against the Furman Paladins.