Ole Miss adds 1,000-yard rusher with commitment from Troy transfer RB

Ole Miss has added a productive ball-carrier out of the transfer portal.

Troy transfer running back Damien Taylor has decided to use his final season of eligibility playing for Lane Kiffin. He announced his transfer commitment to Ole Miss on Easter Sunday.

100% Locked #HottyToddy https://t.co/Qme60Nb9xu

— Damien Taylor (@_DamienTaylor) April 20, 2025

Taylor was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and signed with Troy in 2021 out of Tuscaloosa County High School. He heads to Oxford entering Year 5 of his college football career. From 2021-24, Taylor saw action in 39 games for the Trojans.

In 2021, Taylor played in just 3 games. He logged 16 total snaps on special teams and took a redshirt to extend his eligibility to 2025.

Taylor was again primarily a special teams contributor as a redshirt freshman. In the 2022 season, he logged 8 carries for 30 rushing yards, scoring the first touchdown of his career.

In 2023, Taylor saw his role increase. He carried the ball 67 times for 346 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and 1 touchdown over 13 games.

Taylor had his breakout season in 2024 as a redshirt junior. He was named All-Sun Belt Second Team as he  became he logged the 13th 1,000-yard rushing season in Troy program history. Taylor rushed 173 times for 1,010 yards and 7 touchdowns on the season.

The 2025 season is Taylor’s final year of eligibility.

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.