Walter Nolen Commits to Ole Miss After Leaving Texas A&M for Transfer Portal

Ole Miss has landed a commitment from arguably the best player remaining in the transfer portal.

Per On3.com, former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolen has transferred to Ole Miss. Nolen was ranked as the No. 1 player in the transfer portal by On3.com. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin took to social media and posted a video celebrating Nolen's commitment.

According to ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, Nolen was a 5-star defensive tackle who was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2022. The Powell, Tennessee native committed to Texas A&M "over nearly every other major program that was after him."

Nolen is coming off a solid sophomore season in which he played in 12 games and recorded 37 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. As a true freshman in 2022, he appeared in 10 games and notched 29 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Nolen will have two years of eligibility remaining at Ole Miss. His commitment continues an impressive offseason haul for Kiffin and defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

In addition to Nolen, Ole Miss has landed commitments from Tennessee edge Tyler Baron, Florida edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi State cornerback Decamerion Richardson, Tennessee safety Tamarion McDonald, Oklahoma safety Key Lawrence, Arkansas linebacker Chris Paul Jr, Illinois corner Tahveon Nicholson and Indiana safety Louis Moore.

The 11th-ranked Runnin' Rebels went 10-2 in 2023 and will play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against No. 10 Penn State on Dec. 30.

It's clear that brighter days are ahead for Ole Miss, as Nolen's commitment will surely help the team be competitive against the top teams in the SEC in 2024.