3 Rebels to know as Mississippi State football faces Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl

As the season comes to its conclusion for Mississippi State, they will look to upset the Ole Miss Rebels in the 121st meeting all-time in the Battle for the Golden Egg. Ole Miss has all but played itself out of the playoffs, but there still is a sliver of hope for them to creep back into the mix. If this season has taught us anything, there will be a carnage of chaos this weekend.

This is where Mississippi State enters the picture. They are on track to have their worst overall record since 2003, their first winless SEC season since 2002, and they appear set to lose 10 games in a season for only the third time in school history. However, if this game has shown us anything, it is that the record does not matter, and anything can happen.

Therefore, Mississippi State will look to play spoiler for their arch-rival. Michael Van Buren and the offense have shown that they can move the ball against great defenses, and they will need to do that versus Ole Miss if they want any shot at winning. With that being said, here are three Ole Miss Rebels for State fans to watch for in the Egg Bowl.

Defensive Lineman Walter Nolen

Nolen was the number 1 recruit coming out of high school, and he has shown every bit of that elite, playmaking ability on the defensive line. This season he has recorded 40 total tackles with 24 of those tackles being solo tackles. He also has the ability to get to the quaterback recording five sacks this season. He is one of the many great defensive linemen that Ole Miss has on the defensive side of the ball, and he might be the best. If State wants to neutralize his game, Lebby will have to call some plays that require Van Buren to get rid of the ball quickly.

Tight End Caden Prieskorn

Prieskorn has proven to be as reliable as a target as anyone in the country the past three seasons. In 2022, he was one of the top receivers at the tight end position for the Memphis Tigers catching 48 passes for 602 yards and seven touchdowns. After that season, he transferred to Ole Miss, and he has become Jaxson Dart's security blanket. His numbers have gone down due to Ole Miss having more options at elite playmakers at the receiver position. Last season, he caught 30 passes for 449 yards and four touchdowns. This season, he has 20 receptions for 322 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 16 yards per reception. However, there have been extended periods of time where Kiffin and the Ole Miss offense seem to forget that he is on the field. This also alarming given the lack of a rushing attack that the Rebels have this season. State fans better hope that Prieskorn vanishes in the Egg Bowl otherwise the chances of winning significantly decreases.

Cornerback Trey Amos

The last player to watch is the standout, senior cornerback who has been one of the leaders for the defense. He has recorded 43 tackles with the majority of these being solo tackles with 34. This shows that he is excellent at open field tackling, which can cause trouble for State. However, when State passes the ball, Van Buren needs to know where he's on the field at all times. He has three interceptions on the season with 12 pass breakups. They key matchup to watch for in the entire game in my opinion, is Amos versus Kevin Coleman or Kelly Akharaiyi.