Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery has entered the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. Dottery has been a staple of the Rebels defense for the past two years.
The Montgomery, Alabama native totaled 98 tackles, including 48 solo to lead the Rebels in both categories. He added two forced fumbles, a pair of pass breakups and 1.5 sacks during the 2025 season as well.
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His big-time season comes after he logged 76 tackles (42 solo) with a pair of sacks, a forced fumble and a PBU. In two years with the Rebels, the highly-productive Dottery has logged 90 solo tackles (174 total).
Dottery began his career with the Clemson Tigers, spending one season there as a redshirt after appearing in four games. He transferred to Ole Miss in 2023 but was forced to sit out the entire regular season due to NCAA rules. He eventually in the Peach Bowl vs. Penn State where he finished with two tackles (one solo) and one QB hurry.
Prior to college, Dottery was a top 300 recruit in the 2023 recruiting class according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. Dottery ranked as the No. 293 overall player and the 32nd-rated linebacker in his class.
He leaves Ole Miss following arguably the most memorable season in Rebels football history. Not only did Ole Miss finish the regular season 11-1 (the most wins in a regular season in school history), but the Rebels also made the College Football Playoff for the first time as well.
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Ole Miss defied the expectations placed on it following the abrupt coaching change that happened after the regular season. Pete Golding was elevated as head coach from defensive coordinator after Lane Kiffin took the opening at LSU.
The Rebels would go on to beat Tulane 41-10 during a home playoff game. They followed that up with a statement 39-34 win over Georgia — the only team who beat Ole Miss during the regular season — before falling to the Miami Hurricanes in the national semifinal.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
