Mississippi State saw nearly 40 players enter the transfer portal after the Rebels’ 38-19 win in the annual Egg Bowl rivalry game.
Most of the departing Bulldogs were expected or encouraged to do so. One player, though, was not. In fact, Mississippi State has spent a large chunk of time working to undo that decision and bring safety Tony Mitchell back to Starkville.
Those efforts don’t appear to have worked. Mitchell announced through his social media account that he has committed to Ole Miss, who just finished with its highest ranking the AP Poll since 1959.
Let’s Do It🦈 @OleMissFB pic.twitter.com/lzcepVq8Rf
— Tony Mitchell (@DatGuyTM) January 20, 2026
It was already a hard loss for Mississippi State. Seeing Mitchell go to the Bulldogs’ biggest rival make that pill even harder to swallow.
Mitchell played in 11 of the Bulldogs’ 13 games last season and didn’t participate in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. He ended the season with 25 total tackles and four tackles for a loss. He’s the third safety in this transfer portal cycle to sign with Ole Miss, joining Florida State’s Edwin Joseph and Georgia’s Joenel Aguero.
Ole Miss 2026 Transfer Portal Class
Incoming Rebels
- CB Jay Crawford (Auburn)
- LB Keaton Thomas (Baylor)
- EDGE Nelson Maldonado (Nevada)
- CB Sharif Denson (Florida)
- DL Michai Boireau (Florida)
- DL Jeheim Oatis (Colorado)
- OL Carius Curne (LSU)
- S Edwin Joseph (Florida State)
- S Joenel Aguero (Georgia)
- QB Deuce Knight (Auburn)
- WR Cameron Miller (Kentucky)
- OL Troy Everett (Oklahoma)
- QB Walker Howard (Louisiana)
- WR Darrell Gill (Syracuse)
- WR Isaiah Spencer (Virginia Tech)
- LB Tah’j Butler (Georgia Tech)
- Edge Jordan Renaud (Alabama)
- WR Johntay Cook (Syracuse)
- TE Michael Smith (South Carolina)
- RB Joshua Dye (Southern Utah)
- OL Enoch Wangoy (Florida)
- RB Makhi Frazier (Michigan State)
- S Tony Mitchell (Mississippi State)
Outgoing Rebels
- QB Austin Simmons (Missouri)
- RB Domonique Thomas
- OL PJ Wilkins
- WR Winston Watkins
- LB Jaden Yates (Houston)
- CB Ricky Fletcher
- CB Chris Graves Jr.
- OL Ethan Fields (Alabama)
- OL Jude Foster
- S TJ Banks
- OL Devin Harper (LSU)
- LB TJ Dottery (LSU)
- Edge Princewill Umanmielen
- Edge Da’Shawn Womack
- WR Cayden Lee
