OT DT Walter Nolen to Ole Miss
Top rated player in the transfer portal. Michigan had an outside chance at his original recruitment and a wishful-thinking chance at his portal recruitment.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^
Alternate title: OT DT WN 2 OM
December 24th, 2023 at 2:28 PM ^
Saw on the twitters it was down to Oregon and Ole Miss, so this is ok.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
Can’t wait to see him in a gas mask smoking pot.
December 24th, 2023 at 3:08 PM ^
God forbid
December 24th, 2023 at 3:28 PM ^
Grass Mask(tm)
December 24th, 2023 at 9:19 PM ^
While driving his Ferrari? Looks like Ole Miss may be passing them out to all their transfers...
December 24th, 2023 at 4:30 PM ^
Ghost of Jermaine Gonalez? This your new account?
December 24th, 2023 at 5:48 PM ^
I was thinking more like C.R.E.A.M. $$$
December 24th, 2023 at 5:48 PM ^
I was thinking more like C.R.E.A.M. $$$
December 25th, 2023 at 1:57 AM ^
Ole Mi$$
December 24th, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^
Yeah, getting him here always felt a bit like a pipe dream.
December 26th, 2023 at 10:34 AM ^
And only if that pipe was full of money
December 24th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
Cash Rules Everything Around Me , CREAM Get the money dollar dollar bill y’all
December 24th, 2023 at 2:22 PM ^
Those ever popular T-shirts on the Grove say it all: Michigan, the Ole Miss of the North
December 24th, 2023 at 2:23 PM ^
No…there isn’t anything odd for the same players that were going for the bag coming out of high school, transferring within the SEC at all.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:39 PM ^
Didn't schools used to prevent same conference transfers? Is that fully dead now, by rule or by backlash?
December 24th, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
It used to be a thing. But this whole “SEC vs BIG” I’m sure they all are wanting to keep the talent in house to avoid bolstering the other conference.
December 24th, 2023 at 3:28 PM ^
The SEC used to have an official rule against immediate eligibility for intra-conference transfers, but I believe they dissolved it with the advent of the one-time transfer.
December 24th, 2023 at 4:58 PM ^
When I was an intern at the Missouri Valley Conference they had a rule that if a player transferred to another team in the conference they had to sit out two years. Very hardcore about discouraging it.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:25 PM ^
And we have another one....
December 24th, 2023 at 3:15 PM ^
We were probably no better than 3rd or 4th
December 24th, 2023 at 2:26 PM ^
💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
December 24th, 2023 at 2:28 PM ^
Who cares. If he took the cash that tells me he is trying to bank as much as he can now because he is not confident about his NFL prospects and is a mercenary not a competitor. As the saying goes, the king is dead, long live the king. There will always be another DT out there with talent to go after.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:48 PM ^
Or somebody is willing to pay him money, and he's willing to accept it. Not sure how that says anything about his NFL prospects.
You might make the same decision at 20 years old. Probably even at whatever age you are now.
December 24th, 2023 at 4:00 PM ^
Yeah. Kind of weird that taking money makes you a bad person on this blog. There are bad character guys that go for the bag but it doesn't mean that everyone who wants to get paid is bad.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^
Huh? This is sure a whiney sour grapes take.
One, he was never coming here. But t do you honestly think that being a competitor and making money are mutually exclusive? You sound like the kind of guy who is angry NFL players don't play for free rather than merely for the love of competition.
December 24th, 2023 at 4:32 PM ^
Exactly. They're 1 play away from never playing football again.
December 24th, 2023 at 6:06 PM ^
I do believe many players take the cash now because they are afraid to challenge for a starting job and are more afraid they will not be able to display their talents enough to make the NFL.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:33 PM ^
There is absolutely zero reason to pick miss over some of the other destinations outside of money.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
A bit of an exaggeration, I assume in some cases family lives nearby, coach relationships, etc.
Otoh, public disclosures of NIL would be a lot of fun.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
It's a weird world - some of it is very public, some isn't because it would hurt the sport.
Off-topic a little, but I read a column the other day that speculated that Caitlin Clark at Iowa, favored to win PoY for a second time, probably won't go to the WNBA when eligible next year because her NIL money is close to $1 million a year - more than ten times the maximum she can make in the WNBA.
The same concept might be beginning to be true for football players who have been declaring for the draft and picked third round and below. Just use the transfer portal instead.
December 24th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^
And…?
December 24th, 2023 at 3:15 PM ^
And I think he completed his thought. There was no more.
December 24th, 2023 at 3:21 PM ^
4. Profit?
December 24th, 2023 at 4:33 PM ^
+1 for the DWMC reference
December 24th, 2023 at 3:19 PM ^
For many, the money in the NFL is the second contract. If you're close to even between NIL and rookie contract $, you still might want to go to the league to get you closer to the second deal .
December 24th, 2023 at 4:57 PM ^
He's guaranteed to get as many snaps as he wants there, in addition to the money (I assume his other contenders had cash on the table too). Playoff is attainable with their schedule too, their road games are 3 teams that missed bowls and don't look to be better, Wake, and LSU with a new QB. They get Oklahoma and Georgia in Oxford. 11-1 is quite doable if things go right and that'd be in. 10-2 might even be in.
December 24th, 2023 at 5:49 PM ^
Ole Miss is closer to home for him. Plus, I believe they would've been in an expanded CFP this year.
December 24th, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Lane Kiffin and those who live in Oxford, MS smile at your statements. Somehow, they do very well in the transfer portal every year, even without the resources of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, LSU et al. 😊
December 24th, 2023 at 2:43 PM ^
I feel like there’s two types of 5 stars and the type that go to programs like A&M/Ole Miss are not a good fit for Michigan.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
Yeah, I'm sure when Patridge was at Ole Miss he was only recruiting players who he thought wanted money.
December 24th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
No, I just think some kids only care about the bag and some kids care about a variety of stuff. M isn't going to be Big Bag School, so if you're going to choose the highest bidder, we're not going to win. But if you're a guy who wants to play for a winning team, develop, etc, we can pitch that. The dude who chooses Ole Miss is going to a school that is by no means a championship contender and doesn't have a track record of sending guys to the league.
The issue, IMO, is how we can stand out against UGa and Bama, who can offer both - a boatload of cash and a track record of national championship success/NFL placement.
December 24th, 2023 at 4:03 PM ^
It would be nice if we could pitch development, school etc. and money upfront as well instead of "you will not get paid here until you prove it."
December 24th, 2023 at 4:15 PM ^
No one develops players outside of Michigan...
Uhhh, the mock drafts are full of SEC guys. Really in the 1st round Michigan is lagging so its remarkable what they are doing.
I am 20 I am taking $850K and getting to the league. Both.
December 25th, 2023 at 9:49 PM ^
Developing Uber 5 stars into draft picks? Not that impressive.
December 26th, 2023 at 10:47 AM ^
I mean the counterarguments would be:
- They aren't just developing you to be a pick, but developing you to be a star in the NFL. They'll train you in the fundamentals, etc, so you get that huge second contract.
- If you're a 5-star, why do you care that it's not as impressive as developing a 3-star? You care about their track record with guys like you.
December 24th, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^
Not a surprise.
Lane's got a lot of pressure to win next year. Ole Miss doesn't have super rich boosters so this might be a one-time big cash payout for them.
December 24th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
"Ole Miss doesn't have super rich boosters so this might be a one-time big cash payout for them."
And then Nolen can transfer somewhere else if he wants. Wouldn't be surprised to see players who are very good in college but not likely high draft choice prospects do this multiple times to get their annual signing bonuses.