A pair of Ole Miss football players have been recognized by the SEC following a big weekend for the Rebels. Senior left tackle Diego Pounds and freshman wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. were honored for their performances during the team’s 34-26 win at Oklahoma on Saturday.
Pounds, who transferred to Ole Miss from North Carolina two seasons ago, was the SEC’s offensive lineman of the week after anchoring a Rebel front that tallied 431 total yards against one of the nation’s toughest defenses. The Ole Miss offensive line unit yielded just one sack – only the eighth allowed by Lane Kiffin’s team this season – against an Oklahoma bunch that led the conference in getting to opposing quarterbacks.
🏈 SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week: WK 9
🔵 Diego Pounds@OleMissFB x #SECFB pic.twitter.com/f2B1048k6W
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 27, 2025
As for Watkins, the promising young wideout from Florida was the conference’s freshman of the week. He was Trinidad Chambliss’ top target, logging a career-high 111 yards on four catches. His stats on Saturday were the best by an Ole Miss freshman receiver since Elijah Moore had 129 yards against South Carolina in 2018.
Watkins was especially crucial late in the game, with 40-yard receptions on consecutive drives that helped Ole Miss get into Sooner territory, and essentially walk away victorious.
🏈 SEC Freshman of the Week: WK 9
🔵 Winston Watkins@OleMissFB x #SECFB pic.twitter.com/k1pyiT1czr
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 27, 2025
After embarking on back-to-back road ventures, No. 7 Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1 SEC) will return to the home gridiron on Saturday, with South Carolina traveling to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT. ESPN and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations will air the matchup.
