Ole Miss Rebels defensive star Walter Nolen makes wild declaration as 2025 NFL Draft season begins

The Ole Miss Rebels season didn't end where they wanted it to (in the College Football Playoff), but that doesn't change the fact that Lane Kiffin put together one of the most impressive star-studded rosters in program history. Many of those stars are now on their way to the 2025 NFL Draft as potential early […]

Travis May — College Football Managing Editor
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The Ole Miss Rebels season didn't end where they wanted it to (in the College Football Playoff), but that doesn't change the fact that Lane Kiffin put together one of the most impressive star-studded rosters in program history. Many of those stars are now on their way to the 2025 NFL Draft as potential early selections this spring.

From quarterback Jaxson Dart and wide receiver Tre Harris on offense to edge defender Princely Umanmielen, cornerback Trey Amos, and defensive lineman Walter Nolen on defense, Ole Miss was loaded this past college football season. And one of those incredible talents apparently believes he might be the best of them all considering his wild declaration this week.

Walter Nolen, the prize defensive lineman who anchored the best pass rush in all of FBS college football raised some eyebrows in an interview with The Draft Network this week. He joined Justin Melo to discuss his path to the 2025 NFL Draft and the upcoming Senior Bowl at the end of January.

While Walter Nolen is certainly talented–he was in fact the number two overall recruit in the 2022 recruiting clas after all–his confident words were still a bit shocking when he said, "I'm the next Aaron Donald, man."

First off, there may never be another Aaron Donald. Defensive Rookie of the Year. 10-time Pro Bowl player. Eight-time All-Pro. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year. 111 career sacks in ten years. Nearly 550 tackles.

Donald was a monstrous pass rusher and run defender who had no business dominating, let alone moving at the speed which he did throughout his illustrious career, but he might be the best to ever play his position.

Nolen is almost certainly never going to be like Aaron Donald, but his skill set may be the closest of any defensive lineman in this class. Nolen offers elite level pass rush skills to go with top tier run-stopping numbers. He posted career pass rush pressure rates more than 50% above positional average. He missed just five tackle opportunities in three years according to multiple charting services (PFF and SIS). He is an elite defensive line prospect.

Nolen can also win from any pre-snap alignment similar to Donald. He's also a big-bodied twitched-up athlete who looks leaner than his 300+ pound weight might suggest. Nolen is going to impress at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine as one of the most ridiculous physical specimens in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, he has some doubters.

The Draft Network did not ask about unsubstantiated reports and concerns on his work ethic prior to landing with Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, but they did ask him to reflect upon his decision to transfer (which in and of itself can sometimes be perceived as a negative):

"I don’t have any regrets. I feel like it was a great move for me in all aspects. I know sometimes the portal has a bad reputation, but in my situation, I feel like it was a good opportunity for me to take another step forward…I really locked in this season, bought into our coaching staff. I followed the plan our coaches laid out for me. I spent a lot of time fine-tuning the little things. Honestly, I found a way to get better every single day."

Some will always hate it when players transfer from one place to another. And some bitter coaches may try to bad mouth players like Walter Nolen after they leave. However, if he had any character or work ethic problems it sure didn't look like that was the case at Ole Miss.

Nolen is currently projected to be a first or early second round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Hopefully he can prove to us all that he is indeed the next Aaron Donald here soon.

We'll be back with more Ole Miss Rebels coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

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