Ole Miss WR Dayton Wade is picking up where he left off in 2022
The Ole Miss receiver room has been strengthened for 2023 by the transfer additions of Tre Harris and Zakhari Franklin and the arrival of true freshman Ayden Williams, but Dayton Wade doesn’t let his lack of attention bother him.
“I was in the same spot last year,” said Wade. “It doesn’t bother me not to get the attention. It’s nothing new. It is what it is and at the end of the day we have to put the ball down. Players make plays. I don’t put much thought into it – I just play ball.”
The 5-9 175-pound Wade came to Ole Miss two springs ago from Western Kentucky as a non-scholarship player and almost an afterthought in the Rebel receiving rotation, but by the end of the 2022 campaign he had left a mark of 27 catches (4th on the team) for 309 yards and three touchdowns.
Players make plays and the unheralded Wade made his share in the Rebels’ 8-5 season, but it took a while for him to be recognized and used a lot even though he played in all 13 games.
“I wasn’t really recruited to come here and I walked on so it took some time to gain the attention of the coaches,” Wade said. “I started showing up in practice and the coaches noticed me when they were studying film they said, ‘hold on, we might have something here’ and they started using me even more.
“They started putting me in positions to make plays and that has continued through spring and through fall camp.”
This year started off with Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown, a former Rebel, speaking to the wideouts prior to the beginning of camp.
“He told us to keep our head down and go to work. I liked him coming to talk to us, but honestly that’s the only way I have ever approached the game,” Wade assessed himself.
So far this camp, Wade has played out wide some and in the slot some, but it doesn’t matter to the former Ole Miss walk-on.
“I know all the plays and I’m comfortable wherever they play me,” he continued. “I have to keep my mind sharp and be quick with my decisions. My goal is to know everything there is to know so I don’t have to think much and can just play. I’m getting there.
“I’m just cleaning up the little things now in camp so they don’t come back and bite me later down the road.”
In Wade’s mind, the Ole Miss wide receiver room is much deeper than last year.
“You never want injuries, but we have enough guys now to have a next-man-up mentality and to just keep on going strong,” he explained. “For now, with a couple of guys out (Jordan Watkins, Larry Simmons, Zakhari Franklin) it gives the other guys an opportunity to get more reps and earn playing time in the games.
“I think we are way deeper with quality receivers than we were last year.”
As has been the case with every receiver interviewed this fall camp, Williams gains praise from Wade.
“He’s a great ball player and he doesn’t have a big head. Ayden is always willing to learn,” Wade noted. “He’s a true receiver who wants to be as good as he can be.”
Wade likes the development of some of the other receivers as well, including Bralon Brown.
“He just took care of the small things and quit beating himself up for his little mistakes,” Wade stated. “He’s a playmaker and his game speed has increased because he is not having to think so much. He can play multiple positions and he’s just playing ball now.”
Dayton Wade earned his stripes last season. Now he has the trust of the coaches and you can expect more of what he did at the end of last year all season in 2023.
