Ole Miss’ 325-Pound Defensive Lineman Scored More Touchdowns Than EA Sports’ Cover Athlete

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards was one of three college football players selected by EA Sports to be featured on the cover of its College Football 25 video game. He has less rushing touchdowns through six games than Ole Miss defensive lineman JJ Pegues.

Yes, you read that correctly.

To be fair to Edwards, he is not alone in that category. However, he is the only running back to grace the cover of the video game as one of the three biggest stars in the sport— supposedly.

Pegues, a former two-way player in high school, actually began his college football career as a tight end. The Mississippi-native caught seven passes for 57 yards as a true freshman at Auburn. He later moved to the other side of the ball on a more permanent basis as a sophomore and then transferred to Ole Miss in 2022.

At 6-foot-2, 325 pounds, Pegues has quickly become one of the most important pieces to success for the Rebels. His presence on the defensive line is one thing. The former four-star recruit made 17 tackles through the first six games of the 2024 season.

But this is not about the defense!!!

Pegues is also an integral part of Lane Kiffin’s offense. Ole Miss loves to give him the ball in short-yardage situations. The Rebels don’t have any bruiser running backs and he always falls forward.