Stephon Wynn Jr.'s 'dream plan' changed. He's learned to take it all in stride.
Aug. 24—OXFORD — The plan he set out for out of high school deviated strongly from the final roadmap Ole Miss defensive tackle Stephon Wynn Jr. ended up following.
He will be the first to admit that it took time to come to grips with the changing of his destinations and goals. But now that he's walking his current path, he realizes it was all part of something bigger.
Wynn was a four-star recruit coming out of the famed IMG Academy. He was a top-100 prospect in the 2018 class according to 247Sports; his No. 74 national composite ranking was a few spots behind former Ole Miss star quarterback Matt Corral, who was ranked 63rd in the class. Wynn committed to Alabama out of high school.
The plan, Wynn said, was what all Crimson Tide players envisioned when they signed with the powerhouse — play a few years in college and get that first NFL contract. That isn't how things went for Wynn, however. Over his four seasons in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Wynn made 16 total tackles over 21 games and did not start a contest. He was stuck behind defensive line stars like Christian Barmore, Phidarian Mathis and Byron Young, each of whom has since gone on to become an NFL Draft pick.
Wynn transferred to Nebraska for the 2022 season and played in all 12 games, finishing the season with 22 tackles; he did not start a game with the Cornhuskers. He entered the transfer portal once again in April and transferred to Ole Miss in May, reuniting with former Alabama and current Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding.
"Everybody, coming out of high school was like 'I'm going to Alabama, I'm going to be three-and-out and go to the league.' That is your dream plan. But in reality, you can't control some of the factors that go into it," Wynn said. "So, one of the main things for me was just growing and learning that I can only control what I can control, and not to be down on myself because I'm in college for my sixth year. Maybe this is what God has in plan for me."
Wynn, a senior, figures to play a crucial role up front for Golding and the Rebels in 2023, whose defensive line depth figures to be among the defense's strengths. The Rebels return senior ends Cedric Johnson and Jared Ivey and senior tackle J.J. Pegues and added Wynn, NC State tackle Josh Harris and Georgia Tech tackle Akelo Stone, among others. When he entered the portal for the second time, Golding reached out, Wynn said, and it "just seemed like the perfect opportunity."
"I don't know what His plan is for me, so all I can do every day is just make the best of every opportunity that He gives me. And that's really how I grew," Wynn said. "Because at first, it was definitely difficult just being like, 'Dang, this is not how I thought college would be.' So, just relying on God and knowing that He has a plan, that made it very much easy."
