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Ole Miss Football: 10 best players during the Hugh Feeze era

By Andrew Miller

OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 19: Donte Moncrief #12 of the Ole Miss Rebels runs against Tahj Jones #58 and Tharold Simon #24 of the LSU Tigers on November 19, 2011 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. LSU beat Mississippi 52-3. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS - NOVEMBER 19: Donte Moncrief #12 of the Ole Miss Rebels runs against Tahj Jones #58 and Tharold Simon #24 of the LSU Tigers on November 19, 2011 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. LSU beat Mississippi 52-3. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
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TUSCALOOSA, AL – SEPTEMBER 19: Robert Nkemdiche #5 of the Mississippi Rebels in action against Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 19, 2015 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL – SEPTEMBER 19: Robert Nkemdiche #5 of the Mississippi Rebels in action against Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 19, 2015 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Much like quarterback Shea Patterson, defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche might not have had the best college career under Freeze. However, Nkemdiche was the best player that Freeze ever recruited and by far the most athletic player he coached at Ole Miss.

Nkemdiche consistently showed flashes of what he could do if he reached his full potential but he never claimed the true promise that he had. He did notch a career high three sacks during his junior campaign in 2015. And he never played a full season while he was with the Rebels, playing no more than 10 games during any of his three year career.

In total, Nkemdiche got to the quarterback six times and got 16.0 tackles for loss. Those stats are not the best by any means as Nkemdiche always seemed to have another level that he did not want to go to on the field.

Next: Ranking 20 CFB quarterbacks likely to succeed in NFL

The fact that Freeze was able to recruit a player like Nkemdiche is impressive as is. In the 2016 NFL Draft, Nkemdiche was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round, 29th overall. He was one of many players from that storied 2013 Ole Miss recruiting class that look to make a good career in the NFL in the coming years.

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