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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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Colorado transfer defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis has landed with one of the hottest programs in college football — the Ole Miss Rebels — as head coach Pete Golding builds his first roster under his new title.
Golding was named the permanent option after Lane Kiffin left for LSU, giving Ole Miss some stability as they promoted within rather than going through an external hiring process.
More news: Alabama Loses Five-Star Defender to Transfer Portal After Rose Bowl Loss
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The new head coach has ties to the Alabama Crimson Tide program, serving as the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach during the Nick Saban era.
Oatis was originally an Alabama from 2022 to 2024 before joining Colorado last season, during which Golding coached him as a true freshman in 2022.
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Oatis had 29 tackles during his first year, along with two tackles for loss and one sack. The lineman followed it up with 26 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and half a sack.
He was a four-star prospect out of Mississippi in 2022, ranking as the No. 77 prospect overall in the high school class.
More news: Florida State Gets DJ Lagway Update As Seminoles Look For Starting QB
Now, Oatis returns to his home state under his former coach, which could lead to a spike in performance after a down 2025 season in which he recorded only nine tackles. He needs to make this season count, as it will be his last in college before entering the NFL Draft.
Before the 2025 season, when he was just the defensive coordinator at Ole Miss, Golding detailed what he looks for in a transfer portal target.
"Is this someone players want to be around?" Golding said. "We put a lot on our players when we bring a guy in on an (official visit) and they're hanging out with him. We get their feedback before we ever take a guy because they actually hung out with him outside this building and saw some true colors.
"There are some people that love football and there are some people who love football for what it can do for them. The paycheck looks good, the car is good and the condo is better and they're going to the country club with the coaches and they're doing all those things, but at the end of the day, when shit gets hard, they don't love football. They start running from it."
Clearly, Golding thinks Oatis is a guy who loves football and can help his defense for the upcoming season.
More news: LSU Offensive Coordinator Shuts Down NFL Interest, Commits to Lane Kiffin
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