Ole Miss’ homecoming weekend isn’t for two more weeks. Rebels defensive end Jared Ivey will have his own version Saturday, however.
The former Georgia Tech starter will come back to Tech and Bobby Dodd Stadium as a member of the visiting team as No. 20 Ole Miss will match up with the Yellow Jackets.
“A lot of people, family are going to be deep in the stadium coming to support, so I think it’s just going to feel like home,” Ivey said Monday at a media session in Oxford, Miss.
Ivey, from North Gwinnett High, played two seasons for Tech. He played in 20 games, starting 13. He entered the transfer portal in January, one of 13 Tech players to leave following the end of the 2021 season. He committed to Ole Miss a few days later, becoming one of 28 players to transfer to coach Lane Kiffin’s team, a haul that was ranked second in FBS by 247Sports. After running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Ivey was arguably the most significant Tech player to leave through the portal after the season.
“It was really just a personal decision – no shade to those (Tech) guys at all,” Ivey said. “I loved my time at Tech, made unbelievable connections and relationships. But I just felt like I could find a better situation for myself somewhere else.”
Ivey has been a backup at defensive end through the Rebels’ first two games. He has been credited with five tackles, including 1.5 sacks, and a quarterback hurry.
As Ole Miss prepares, Ivey said he has been offering his two cents to coaches about Tech’s personnel and scheme.
“But they’ve had a whole offseason to do what they need to do to prepare the way they need to prepare,” Ivey said. “It’s not the exact same, but I’m giving my input where I can.”
He wasn’t sure how much his knowledge will aid the Ole Miss cause.
“They know that I used to play there, play in the scheme, and I’m at a school that they’re playing,” Ivey said. “They’re not going to come in and run all the stuff that they ran while I was there. It’d be crazy. I don’t think any team in the country with transfers would do that. Everybody makes adjustments.”
Tech has already been in a similar situation, as Jackets coaches were able to tap the knowledge of quarterback Taisun Phommachanh and guard Paul Tchio, both transfers from Clemson, prior to the season opener against the Tigers. After Saturday, the Jackets will face one more opponent with a player who transferred from Tech after last season (Pitt with tight end Dylan Deveney).
“They’ve got a lot of weapons,” Ivey said of the Jackets. “They use their slot a lot in space, find ways to get him the ball. They try to come out and run like any team does. Especially being at their place, look for them to take shots, but we’re prepared. We’ve got a whole week of practice to get ready for it, and I think we’re ready, ready to go.”
Ivey is one of 16 players on the Ole Miss roster from Georgia. Left tackle Jeremy James (North Forsyth High), defensive back Otis Reese (Lee County High, transferred from UGA) and kicker Jonathan Cruz (Cartersville High, transferred from Charlotte) are at the top of the depth chart of their respective positions.
But Ivey’s the only who has called Bobby Dodd Stadium home. Ivey may not be the first former Tech player to return to Grant Field as a playing opponent, but certainly there haven’t been many before him.
“It’s a very fun environment to play in,” he said. “I enjoyed being there. I loved it, and I loved my guys. We had some diehard fans that were really riding for us. One of the coolest entrances in college football. So I think we’re going to go in there and do what we do.”
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