Ole Miss football adds Canadian DL Jaden Dicks from transfer portal

The NCAA Transfer Portal is the way of the world now. Head coach Lane Kiffin has dubbed it as “basically free agency” and he’s not wrong. Well, Friday afternoon, Ole Miss added yet another Canadian when University of Guelph defensive lineman Jaden Dicks announced that he was transferring to play for the Rebels.

Dicks did not play during only season in Ontario last year due to it being canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder will have four years of eligibility remaining with the Rebels once the 2021 season begins, per Ole Miss sources.

The newest Rebel prepped at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute in Toronto where he was named All-League MVP as a sophomore, junior AND senior.

If Guelph sounds familiar that’s because it is where current Rebel Tavius Robinson attended before making his way to the Velvet Ditch.

The Rebels have made it a point to bolster their front seven a year after finishing dead last in the SEC in yards allowed per game and Dicks will add depth. The transition to Power 5 football could be a bit of a culture shock, but as mentioned above, he will have plenty of time to get acclimated once he arrives on campus.

Dicks’ long frame and openfield athleticism makes him a candidate to play the ever-popular hybrid defensive end position that is becoming more and more popular with the way that college football has continued to evolve. Offenses are going more and more multiple, spreading the field, and using speed to stretch defenses thin and this addition could go a long way in defending that with his ability to move laterally and get upfield to rush the passer.