NFL Rebels Update: 2026 NFL Season

NFL Rebels Update: Week 1

OXFORD, Miss. – Here at OleMissSports.com, we are proud to update Rebel fans on the status of our former players who lace up their cleats on Sundays in the NFL.

25 former Rebels begin the 2026 season on active rosters, including six rookies.

#1 A.J. Brown | WR | New England Patriots
Brown begins a new chapter in his career, joining New England after being traded from the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason. The former second round pick and Ole Miss career receiving yards leader spent 4 seasons in Philadelphia, finishing with 5,034 receiving yards, 32 touchdowns, 2 pro bowls, and one Super Bowl Championship. His 5,034 yards ranked fifth in the league in that time, with his 32 touchdowns tied for sixth. Brown averaged 14.8 yards per catch while with the Eagles, best in the league during that time among players with at least 300 catches.

#77 Ben Brown | OL | New England Patriots
Brown looks to begin his second season with New England, and his third in the NFL. He started four games at left guard in 2025 en route to the Super Bowl.

#44 Tahj Chambers | LB | Indianapolis Colts
Chambers joined the Colts as an undrafted free agent. In his 2025 season with Ole Miss, he finished with 45 tackles and three passes defended.

#6 Jaxson Dart | QB | New York Giants
Dart returns for his sophomore season after finishing fourth in 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. As a rookie, he ranked fourth in the league amongst quarterbacks with 487 rushing yards, with his nine rushing touchdowns tied for second across all QBs. The Giants begin their season

#1 Evan Engram | TE | Denver Broncos
The two-time Pro-Bowler is beginning his second season with the Broncos, and his ninth season overall. Since entering the league, Engram has racked up 546 receptions and 5,383 yards, good for fourth and fifth most amongst tight ends in that time.

#34 Kapena Gushiken | S | Indianapolis Colts
Gushiken begins his rookie season after recording 55 tackles and one interception in his senior season at Ole Miss.

#9 Tre Harris | WR | Los Angeles Chargers
Finished with 30 receptions for 324 yards in his rookie season after being drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

#51 Jared Ivery| LB | Atlanta Falcons
Ivey begins his second season in the NFL, playing in two games last year for the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.

#52 Cedric Johnson | DE | Cincinnati Bengals
Johnson is entering his third season in the league after being a sixth-round draft pick to Cincinnati in the 2024 draft. Playing in nine games, he finished the 2025 campaign with 20 total tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, two tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits.

#93 D.J. Jones | DT | Denver Broncos
The veteran returns for his tenth season, and his fifth with Denver. Jones finished 2025 with 39 tackles, four tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, three sacks, and one pass defended.

#88 Dawson Knox | TE | Buffalo Bills
Knox is entering his eighth season in the NFL, all with Buffalo. Since entering the league in 2019, Dawson has racked up 2,694 yards and 27 touchdowns. His 27 touchdown grabs rank seventh among tight ends in that time.

#33 Deane Leonard | CB | Los Angeles Chargers
Returning for his fifth season, all with the Chargers, Leonard has totaled 46 tackles, six passes defended, and two forced fumbles in his career.

#4 D.K. Metcalf | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers
Metcalf enters his second season in Pittsburgh, and his eighth overall. The two-time Pro Bowler finished 2025 with 59 catches, 850 yards, and six touchdowns. Since entering the league in 2019, DK has recorded 497 receptions for 7,174 yards and 54 touchdowns. In that time, Metcalf ranks eighth in receiving yards, fifth in touchdowns, and fourth in yards per reception, with 14.4.

#18 Jonathan Mingo | WR | Dallas Cowboys
Mingo returns for his second full season with Dallas, and his fourth season overall. In his career, he's compiled 610 receiving yards on 61 receptions.

#97 Walter Nolen III | DT | Arizona Cardinals
After being selected in the first round of the 2025 draft, Nolen appeared in six games in his rookie season, bringing down 11 tackles, two sacks, five tackles for a loss, five quarterback hits, two passes defended, and one fumble recovery. He would finish the 2025 season as PFF's highest graded rookie interior defensive lineman with a grade of 74.1. Nolen's pass rush grade of 80.1 was over eight points higher than the next closest rookie and ranked tenth in the league overall.

#92 JJ Pegues | DT | Las Vegas Raiders
Returns for his second season in the NFL. Finished the 2025 campaign with nine games played, 11 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one fumble recovery.

#61 Diego Pounds | OL | Kansas City Chiefs
Pounds begins his rookie season with Kansas City after anchoring the line for the Rebels' 2025 College Football Playoff run.

#95 Tavius Robinson | OLB | Baltimore Ravens
Robinson enters his fourth season in the league. In his career, he's compiled 86 tackles, nine sacks, and one fumble recovery.

#7 De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | San Francisco 49ers
Stribling begins his career after being taken 33^rd overall in the 2026 NFL draft, the first pick of the second round. For Ole Miss in 2025, he finished with 811 receiving yards and six touchdowns, including a seven catch, 122-yard game against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

#13 Laquon Treadwell | WR | Indianapolis Colts
The veteran receiver is returning for his 11^th NFL season. Treadwell appeared in 10 games last season, primarily on special teams.

#3 Princely Umanmielen | LB | Carolina Panthers*
Returning for his second year after the Panthers selected him in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. In his rookie season, Umanmielen finished with 24 total tackles, 13 of those solo, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four quarterback hits.

#17 Jordan Watkins | WR | San Francisco 49ers*
After being drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Watkins appeared in four games in his rookie season, hauling in two catches for 26 yards.

#66 Jayden Williams | OL | Arizona Cardinals
Williams was drafted in Round 7 of the 2026 NFL draft after being a key part of the Rebels' 2026 playoff team.

#54 Sam Williams | DE | Cleveland Browns
This year will be Sam's fifth in the NFL, and his first in Cleveland. Williams in 2025 totaled a career-high 37 tackles, 23 of them solo, seven tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two passes defended, two blocked kicks, and four quarterback hits.

#31 Wydett Williams Jr. | S | Arizona Cardinals
Williams is entering his rookie season with Arizona after totaling 73 tackles, three interceptions, and ten passes defended in his senior season at Ole Miss.

INJURED RESERVE
Trey Amos | CB | Washington Commanders
Amos returns for his second season after being a second-round pick in 2025. In his 10 games prior to going down with an injury in 2025, he totaled 32 tackles, 19 of them solo, and six passes defended. Amos' PFF coverage grade was the fifth highest among rookie cornerbacks (min. 500 snaps).

Laremy Tunsil | OT | Washington Commanders
The five-time Pro Bowler looks to begin his tenth season in the league, and second with Washington. Tunsil started 14 games in the 2025 season, playing all offensive snaps in nine of those games. Tunsil's PFF pass blocking grade of 88.9 ranked third in the league amongst all offensive linemen last season.

PRACTICE SQUAD

Nick Broeker | OL | Buffalo Bills
Chance Campbell | LB | Philadelphia Eagles
AJ Finley | S | Seattle Seahawks
Deantre Prince | CB | Chicago Bears
Trey Washington | S | Indianapolis Colts
Harrison Wallace III | WR | Arizona Cardinals
Antwane Wells JR. | WR | Atlanta Falcons

RebelsCalendar

Players Mentioned

Tahj Chambers

Kapena Gushiken

Diego Pounds

De'Zhaun Stribling

Harrison Wallace III

Jayden Williams

Wydett Williams Jr.

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