Throughout college football, bowl season has become a whirlwind of roster turnover and chaos.

Players with NFL futures often opt out of their team’s bowl game. Others seek better fits in the NCAA’s transfer portal that opens in December and leave their team early.

Amidst that madness, Ole Miss is a relative sea of calm. Although 16 of its players have entered the portal, only one has elected to opt out in preparation for the NFL draft.

Among those who will be in uniform for the Rebels (9-3) Thursday against Duke (9-3) in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl are All-SEC quarterback Jaxson Dart, defensive linemen J.J. Pegues and Walter Nolen, All-America cornerback Trey Amos, and wide receiver Jordan Watkins.

“I think that says a lot,” Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said. “It says a lot about the culture in that locker room, a lot about how they feel about each other. A number of those guys have very high draft grades and they’re still playing. Even if you look at New Year’s Six bowl games, including ours, who we played against last year, a number of people not playing in it, it says a lot, so I’m very appreciative of them and commend them for that.”

It’s the second year in a row that most of Ole Miss’ NFL-bound players have elected to play in the bowl game. Last season, the Rebels took full advantage of the extra manpower to beat Penn State 38-25 in the Peach Bowl.

They’re hoping for a similar result against Duke, which will be without starting quarterback Maalik Murphy. Murphy entered the transfer portal and is headed to Oregon State, after throwing for 2,933 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2024.

“It’s been awesome to be able to set the standard and tradition here and give the fans a reason to be excited for next season,” said Watkins, who caught 42 passes for 726 yards and seven touchdowns this season. “Seeing how far the program has come the last three years has been awesome. I remember when I first got here, Kiffin told me we’re taking this program in a different direction, and it really has, and it’s been fun to see it come to life.”

Dart, who set Ole Miss records for wins, passing yards and passing touchdowns during three years as the starting quarterback, said there “wasn’t any doubt” that he and his teammates would play against Duke.

“Never really had a second of thought about it. Just really excited to go compete one last time with the guys,” Dart said. “I think it just shows the bond we have with one another. We just came together and said we wanted to finish this the way we started. I can’t even remember a lot of guys having a doubt if they were playing or not.”

Pegues said his decision was about more than his own desire to play.

The Oxford native was this year’s recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award and the bearer of the hallowed No. 38 jersey that goes with it. He has become a beloved figure in Oxford for both his play on the field and his community work off it.

Playing in the Gator Bowl, Pegues said, was an opportunity to represent both his school and his hometown that he wasn’t going to miss.

“We all want to leave this place better than how we found it,” Pegues said. “For me, being from here, wearing the jersey one more time, representing Chucky Mullins in 38 is a big thing for me. We’re building something special, we started something special, and we just want to finish the right way.”

TAXSLAYER GATOR BOWL
• Ole Miss (9-3) vs. Duke (9-3)
• Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
• TV: ESPN; Radio: 107.7 FM