Ole Miss may not be the best-known school for producing wide receivers. That title likely goes to LSU, especially as of late. Perhaps you could include Ohio State or Alabama, which both could make a strong argument. But the Rebels aren’t all that far behind. Over the past decade or so, they’ve managed to produce a multitude of well-known wideouts. Starting with Laquon Treadwell, and following up with guys like D.K. Metcalf, AJ Brown, Oxford has had a lot of names come through at the receiver position. Over the past two seasons, they’ve had Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins. This year, they hope De’Zhaun Stribling can ultimately prove to be similar to a lot of those guys.
Clearly, putting that kind of pressure on a guy is a bit unfair. But in Stribling’s case, it can be justified. He has plenty of experience. And he has a body that should be able to withstand the wear and tear of a full season. Both are crucial elements in the success of a wide receiver, especially one in a Lane Kiffin offense.
Can De’Zhaun Stribling Be a Difference Maker?
Who Is Stribling?
Similar to both Harris and Watkins, Stribling is entering his first season as a Rebel after arriving through the transfer portal. He’s spent the last four seasons at Washington State and, most recently Oklahoma State for two seasons, with decent success. The only “down year” he’s seen was in 2023, when he played in only three games due to injury. However, in those three games, he still brought in 14 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.
Last season, in his first full season back from injury, he caught 52 passes for 882 yards and six touchdowns. While they aren’t stellar numbers, they’re certainly decent numbers. And they’re numbers that fit in perfectly with what we’ve seen Kiffin try to do through the portal in the past. In other words, simply finding good receivers that fit into the system he wants to run. Caring less about stats and more about fit. And that’s what Stribling should ultimately bring to the table at Ole Miss.
An Adequate Replacement for Tre Harris?
This is a big question on the minds of a lot of Ole Miss fans. Who’s going to replace Harris? For the past two seasons, even when playing through injury, Harris was the favorite target of Jaxson Dart in Oxford. With Harris and Dart both gone to the NFL, the Rebels have to find their new go-to guy. We know that Austin Simmons is going to be the starting quarterback, but who’s going to step up as the primary receiver?
There’s a lot of optimism that it could end up being Stribling. Listed at 6’2, he’s the same height as Harris. Weighing in at a touch over 200 pounds, he’s slightly lighter than Harris. But he plays extremely well within his frame. He does an excellent job of combining good hands with solid balance and above-average speed. All of which are traits needed to be a high-end wideout.
To be fair, there are other names that are also going to have a chance to be that replacement. Penn State transfer Harrison Wallace should be primed to have a good year in his first season as a Rebel. Five-star freshman Caleb Cunningham is a hotshot prospect who should see meaningful snaps in 2025.
But Stribling seems to bring the best mix of size, experience, and speed to the Rebels’ wide receiver room this season. That doesn’t mean he’s going to end the season with 75-80 catches. In a system that spreads the ball around as much as Kiffin wants to, those types of seasons are almost nonexistent.
But if he can stay healthy, expect Stribling to prove to be the guy that Simmons and the Rebels look to in big moments, and a key factor in just how much success Ole Miss has in 2025.
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