Halfway through the season, Ole Miss wide receiver Deuce Alexander is putting together the best statistical campaign of his college career, and the speedster made clear Tuesday that the best is still ahead.
Speaking at a Manning Center press conference previewing the Rebels’ matchup with Missouri, the redshirt junior reflected on last weekend’s dominant 52-17 win at Vanderbilt, his expanded role in offensive coordinator John David Baker’s scheme, and the traits that have made him one of the SEC’s most dangerous playmakers.
“We needed it bad, man,” Alexander said of the victory over the Commodores, which came after a tough loss and a two-week layoff. “Everybody was just anxious and ready to go. Just keeping our focus there in the week and just like next-game mentality and just being able to go out there and put on a full game. We still haven’t put a full game together, so excited to see that coming forward.”
Alexander finished with five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt, plus a 16-yard carry. Through five games this season, he has 32 receptions for 503 yards and five touchdowns — already surpassing his previous career highs in several categories after posting 44 catches for 684 yards and two scores in 2025.
Deuce Alexander
The Georgia native credited Baker’s system for unlocking more of his game compared with previous offenses. “He just likes to move me around a lot more. Just likes to let me showcase my speed. Even the last game let me get some touches out of the backfield. So just things like that. Just let me showcase the things I can do. It just fits me more.”
One highlight against Vanderbilt was a touchdown in which Alexander cut across the defense. “Yeah, just trusting my speed and just trusting coach [to] put it in a spot for me to be able to catch and run. We worked that during practice, so I was comfortable running through the middle without knowing I’m not going to be able to take a hit… just preparation just helped me score a touchdown.”
Alexander also pointed to early aggression and trust from the quarterback as keys to the first-half success at Vanderbilt. “Just attacking them early. Just using the playmakers and just JDB trusting us early and we trusting him. So that just helped us. We was preaching that throughout the whole week.”
On becoming known as a precise route runner, he stressed its importance: “It’s very important ’cause playing wide receiver is just all about creating separation. And if you can’t create separation at this level, you’re not going to be able to create it at the next level in my eyes. So just working on that all offseason with my father and like just my coaches… just making sure my cuts are good… to be able to create that separation.”
His father, a trainer who works with professional, college, and high school athletes, has coached him since he was four years old. “Just growing up with him, just him teaching me everything and just molding me to who I am now.”
Asked about his breakout, Alexander was confident yet hungry. “It’s been great, man. Just knowing over the years like I could have just been putting it [out there], showcasing it, but I’m just glad this year I’m able to showcase my talents and just show the world and like everybody what I can do. And I’m not done. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Looking ahead to Missouri, he expects a physical challenge. “They’re a tough team and they like to fly around… Defensively, they fly around. They have great personnel, a great group of guys.”
The game will also feature familiar faces. Former Ole Miss teammates Austin Simmons and Cayden Lee (referred to as Caden Leon in the session) are now with the Tigers. “It’s going to be great, man. It’s going to be fun competing against those guys, some guys I was around every day here… just being able to see them on the field doing their thing… it’s just a great feeling to be on the field with them.”
To achieve the complete four-quarter performance the Rebels seek, Alexander emphasized unity. “Just taking it one play at a time and just playing as a whole, like as a group… just putting it all together and just coming as one. That’d help us finish out a game.”
Alexander has long been regarded as the fastest player on whatever roster he’s been on. “Never played on a team with anybody faster than me,” he said, noting only a brief exception in freshman year at Wake Forest with running back Demond Claiborne (now with the Vikings). On the current Ole Miss team, he named Sedrick Beavers as the closest second.
In lighter moments, he graded teammate Shamarius Brown’s recent touchdown catch a 9, with the celebration a perfect 10.
Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1 SEC) hosts Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 17. With Alexander operating at a high level and still insisting more is coming, the Rebels will look to him to help deliver the complete effort they’ve been chasing.