OXFORD, miss. – As we prepare for the first week at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to kick off the 2024 Ole Miss football season, The Rebel Gang Each day, the team will highlight one player for our Ole Miss 22 rankings, explaining who they are, how they got here and what we expect from each one.
Today we take a look at player No. 9 on the list, Defensive tackle JJ Pegues.
Four years ago, Oxford native JJ Pegues decided to take his talents to Auburn University and chose the Tigers over his hometown team, the Ole Miss Rebels. New head coach at the time Lane Kiffin then came along, successfully bringing the hometown player back to Oxford, just two years into his college career. Fast forward to the end of fall camp 2024, and Pegues is a leader on the Pete Golding Defense with expectations high.
How did JJ Pegues come to Ole Miss?
After graduating from Oxford High School, Pegues was a 4-star athlete who was ranked among the top 200 players in the country and the third-best player in the state. The future crowd-favorite Rebel led the Chargers to a 6A state championship and played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game before heading off to college on the Plains.
After two seasons with the Tigers in Auburn, Pegues moved on at the end of the 2021 season. In January 2022, the Mississippi native returned to Oxford to make an immediate impact. Big No. 89 did just that, establishing himself among the other Oxford natives who wore the red and blue jerseys.
Career prospects
As a freshman for Auburn, the Oxford native had seven catches for 57 yards as well as 14 rushing yards as an offensive weapon for the Tigers. Pegues played in 24 games with two starts over the course of two seasons at Auburn. The blue-chip prospect started as a tight end for the Tigers and eventually moved to the defensive line in 2021, where he finished the season with 16 tackles.
Pegues was immediately seen on the interior defensive line for the Rebels. As a junior, the Rebel rookie recorded a total of 25 tackles and three sacks.
After a solid first season with the Rebels as a rotational defensive tackle, Pegues had bigger plans for 2023. The big nose tackle collected 40 total tackles, defended two passes, and recorded three and a half sacks this year. The athletic big man was also used as an athlete for the Rebels over the past two seasons, carrying the ball four times and also catching a touchdown pass in the 2022 season.
JJ PEGUES!! @JeremiahPegues4
🖥 https://t.co/sSCEB25VxD pic.twitter.com/adfkkL7EV8— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 30, 2022
Much to the delight of Rebel fans, Pegues decided after the 2023 Peach Bowl that he would return to Ole Miss for his final season of eligibility.
Unfinished business!!! Find the ball!!!@LetsGo_Bo5 @grovecollectnil @CoachGolding pic.twitter.com/syXGqFR4wH
— JJ Pegues (@JeremiahPegues4) 30 November 2023
Fall camp and season 2024
In fall camp 2024, Pegues was expected to emerge as the locker room leader among all the new recruits and rookies. The super senior took over for defensive coordinator Pete Golding and received praise from his coaches as well as another leader on the team, Jaxson Dart.
Pegues has impressed me so far in camp, along with another machine in Walter NolenJust one week and nine days before the season opener, Pegues was named the winner of the 2024 Chucky Mullins Courage Award.
Introducing the winner of the 2024 Chucky Mullins Courage Award!#HotToddy pic.twitter.com/vuEZl9QM5q
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) 22 August 2024
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner.
Pegues, the 34th winner of the annual award, told his family today that he will wear the No. 38 jersey for home games and his original No. 89 with the “38 patch” for away games. On August 31 at 6 p.m. CT, Pegues will make his debut in the No. 38 jersey at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium when the Rebels face the Furman Paladins in the season opener.
“I just won the Chucky Mullins Award” 🥹#HotToddy pic.twitter.com/fVp5C5APZm
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) 22 August 2024
Camp report
In training camp this fall, Pegues started in a black no-contact jersey like many others. Since then, he has participated in drills and contact training. One noticeable trait about Pegues is his leadership among his peers. Already receiving high praise for the Chucky Mullins Courage Award, Pegues is definitely an impact factor on defense. Lane Kiffin has praised Pegues several times this year, saying that Pegues has really taken a step forward in that regard alongside QB Jaxson Dart.
Next
You can see JJ and the Rebels in action on Saturday, August 31st at Vaught-Heminway when they open the season against Furman.
Cameron Wicker
Kam is a student at Ole Miss and is currently pursuing a degree in journalism. Although he is from Delhi, Louisiana, that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a diehard Ole Miss fan. He is a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He was a four-year high school football and baseball player and is an avid fan of the Saints, Pelicans and Astros. In his free time, he can be found watching or participating in sporting events at the recreation center.
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