Three Transfer Portal Players That Could Fit Ole Miss Football and Pete Golding

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels will take the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Dec. 20 for a College Football Playoff matchup against the Tulane Green Wave, but the coaching staff in Oxford will be multitasking this month.

With the NCAA Transfer Portal set to open on Jan. 2, Golding and Co. are evaluating options that will be in the market as players reveal intentions to enter.

The 2025 regular season is now in the rearview mirror with a myriad of players announcing their plans to enter the portal as Ole Miss begins the evaluation process.

Which Transfer Portal prospects stand out with the window less than three weeks from opening?

Three Transfers Ole Miss Could Target:

No. 1: S Derek Williams Jr. - Texas Longhorns

A member of the 2023 Recruiting Class, the Louisiana native was a priority target for the multiple SEC schools out of high school, but elected to sign with the Texas Longhorns.

After an impressive freshman campaign in 2023 where he notched 42 tackles with 2.0 for loss, Williams Jr. started his sophomore season strong.

But multiple injuries derailed the 6-foot-2, 201-pounder's 2024 season where he took a redshirt year.

Texas Longhorns Football. — Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Derek Williams Jr. (2) and defensive back Graceson Littleton (29) celebrate after Littleton intercepts a pass from Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (not pictured) during the second half at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Williams Jr. then came back prepared for 2025 after using the 2024 season as a redshirt year where he notched 23 tackles.

Now, after three seasons in Austin (Tex.), all eyes will be on his future. Could Ole Miss enter the race for his services? Time will tell with the NCAA Transfer Portal window opening on Jan. 2.

No. 2: LB Tackett Curtis - Wisconsin Badgers

The junior defender tallied 29 tackles, 15 solo tackles and a sack during the 2025 season with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Curtis saw action in all 12 games this season where he started the year in the starting rotation at inside linebacker.

The 6-foot-2, 228-pounder totaled 56 tackles over his past two seasons with the Badgers prior to transferring to Wisconsin from USC ahead of the 2024 season.

Now, the Louisiana native is back on the market where he will look to round out his career elsewhere.

LSU Tigers Football: Ashton Stamps. — Courtesy of Ashton Stamps' Instagram.

No. 3: CB Ashton Stamps - LSU Tigers

LSU Tigers cornerback Ashton Stamps is set to officially enter the NCAA Transfer Portal where he could give Ole Miss a boost in the secondary with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The Louisiana native started in all 13 games as a sophomore in 2024 where he emerged as the program's go-to guy at the cornerback position.

Across his first two seasons in Baton Rouge, Stamps appeared in 24 games with 17 starts in purple-and-gold. He logged 74 tackles and 16 total pass breakups during that stretch.

Stamps signed with the LSU program in the 2023 Recruiting Cycle as a three-star prospect where he fulfilled his dream of playing for the Tigers - along with suiting up for secondary coach Corey Raymond.

Now, it's on to the next chapter of his playing career after three seasons in Baton Rouge where he redshirted in 2025. Could Ole Miss get invovled? Time will tell with four weeks until the Transfer Portal window officially opens.

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