Ole Miss WR Dayton Wade Reveals Emotions Prepping For Final Collegiate Game
The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels are preparing for their matchup against the No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions, and while majority of Lane Kiffin's roster is using the Peach Bowl as a launch pad for a potential playoff run in 2024, senior receiver Dayton Wade is prepping for his final collegiate game.
Wade finished the 2023 regular season second on the team in receptions (52) and receiving yards (769) while averaging 14.8 yards per catch, and announced following the Egg Bowl that he would be declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wade's time as a Rebel will soon be over, but it is a bittersweet ending, as the Atlanta, Ga., native will get a chance to play in front of family and friends in his final collegiate game when Ole Miss battles Penn State.
Wade expressed what this game means to him during his media availability on Tuesday.
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"This game really definitely means a lot to me," Wade told reporters. "Especially since I started off my career when I was in Kentucky, so family wasn't really traveling to Kentucky and whatnot. Now I'm in Mississippi, so finally to get to play at home, like really, really at home, I'm looking forward to that."
Wade spent his first two years of college football playing for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers before transferring to Ole Miss as a walk-on ahead of the 2022 season. In two season at Ole Miss, Wade caught 79 passes for 1,078 yards and seven touchdowns - not too shabby for a former walk-on.
During his presser, Wade took time to reflect on his time as a Rebel, and gave high praise to the Oxford community.
"Now that I'm at the end of this Ole Miss road, like this journey, I'm just glad the Oxford community welcomed me the way they did," Wade said. "The way they welcomed me with open arms, brought me in. They're the reason I'm really here right now."
Wade also talked about his decision to declare for the NFL, and made sure to set the record straight that his choice was not made based on money.
"For me, I didn't really put that much thought into it," Wade said. "With different people, everybody's like NIL, getting ahead and whatnot. For me, that's not even what it's about. I'm just trying to play ball. I want to be great. So this is the next step in me being great."
