DALLAS, Texas (KBTX) – With the advent of a brand new college football video game, the first of its kind in over a decade, many fans of the sport will look no further than the game’s player rankings to judge who are the best individuals in the nation.
For Ole Miss, their top-rated player came to the Rebels by way of College Station.
Defensive tackle Walter Nolen, originally part of Texas A&M’s record-breaking 2022 recruiting class, comes in ranked 26th overall (a 93 overall rating). His teammates who made the trip to Dallas for 2024 SEC Media Days say, in this instance, the video game reflects reality.
“I think he’s just brought a level of intensity,” Ole Miss defensive end Jared Ivey said. “He’s a really hard worker. So, just having that be there and subconsciously push you to work harder at the same time is huge.”
Nolen was the crown jewel of former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s record-breaking top-rated class as the No. 2 recruit in the nation. The five-star lineman, according to 247Sports.com, was also the top-ranked defensive lineman in his class and was the highest-rated player ever signed by the Aggies. NFL standout Myles Garrett ranks just below Nolen on A&M’s all-time list, as graded by 247 Sports.
In his freshman season, Nolen appeared in 12 games where he recorded 37 total tackles for the Aggies, finishing in seventh place on the squad. He posted 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Nolen’s addition to the Rebels helped head coach Lane Kiffin earn the national crown for the 2024 offseason portal, per 247Sports’ rankings, with the defensive lineman coming in as the team’s only five-star addition. The Rebels brought in 24 transfer players, four fewer than A&M’s 28 as a part of a fourth overall national ranking.
Through spring practice, the only focus of Nolen’s pass rush was teammate Jaxson Dart, much to the veteran quarterback’s chagrin.
The guy is a monster,” Dart said. “I think he’s one of the best players in the whole country. His God-given ability is incredible and I thought he’s had a great offseason and has been somebody that has taken another step in his growth. He’s excited for this season and to put his name on the map.”
Nolen enters an offensive line that already boasts Ivey, who led the Rebels in sacks with 5.5 last season, and Princely Umanmielen, who transferred in from Florida.
“I feel like the ceiling, you can’t even put words to it,” Ivey said of the defensive front. “It’s something that we have to go take and something we have to go attack. That’s the main goal of this season is going and leaving no doubt.”
The same portal that flipped Nolen from the A&M roster also gave the Aggies an answer for his lost production in Purdue edge rusher Nic Scourton. The Bryan native led the Big 10 in sacks last season with 10 and immediately drew eyes during the Aggies’ spring game in April.