To be a freshman and be a leader, particularly in the Southeastern Conference, is rare, in the words of head coach Hugh Freeze. However, Ole Miss redshirt freshman linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche has done just that.
“There’s no age, there’s no perfect rubric for being a leader,” Nkemdiche said. “If you want to be courageous and step up and lead by example, lead vocally, why not? If my teammates take that into their perspective and respect that, why not keep doing it and show up every weekend?”