Who'll Wear No. 38? Six candidates for the Chucky Mullins Award

College athletics were rocked when the NCAA, in March, indefinitely suspended all on-field competition in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In one fell swoop, basketball tournaments, the remainder of baseball season, spring championships and football practices and more were gone. Lost, too, were off-field achievements, many of which are unique to particular schools.

In the case of Ole Miss, there was no winner of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award, an honor handed out each year on the morning of the Grove Bowl scrimmage. The Grove Bowl brings to a close spring training for Rebel football. Now-departed defensive tackle Austrian Robinson, last April, was the 29th recipient in the 30-year history of the award.

Rest assured, a player will wear No. 38 in 2020. The award honors the late Chucky Mullins, a defensive back who had his Ole Miss career come to an end during the 1989 homecoming game against Vanderbilt. Mullins was paralyzed after making a tackle. After returning to his studies at Ole Miss, he passed away May 6, 1991.

Who are the top candidates? Here’s six names to keep an eye on …


MoMo Sanogo | JR | LB | 6-2, 244

Why He Makes Sense: There’s no set criteria for candidates to meet in order to win the Chucky Mullins Award. But, typically, recipients are considered a leader for the respective team, have a multi-year track record of at least reasonable production and have faced some form of adversity in their Ole Miss career. Sanogo checks all the boxes. He’s inarguably one of the go-to voices for the Rebels. When the team needs a designated spokesperson, be it for media interviews or the Ladies Football Forum, Sanogo is usually the player who steps up. He was one of just three Rebels to start every game on defense in 2018, when he finished third in the SEC with 9.3 tackles per game and fifth in total tackles with 112. His junior campaign was cut short after he suffered a season-ending injury to his right ankle in the second game of the season. He was granted a redshirt. So, yeah, Sanogo might be the leader in the clubhouse, if not the obvious choice.


Jaylon Jones | SR | DB | 5-11, 183

Why He Makes Sense: Jones is one of the top returning veterans for the Rebels. He’s well-liked by his teammates, and while he wasn’t quite himself production-wise as a junior, he certainly showed what he’s capable of as a freshman and sophomore. He was a freshman All-American in 2016. A year later, he appeared in all 12 games, with six starts, as a defensive back and kickoff returner. He ranked third in the SEC and 19th nationally with 775 kickoff return yards. He was also third in the SEC in yards per return. Jones was seemingly on his way to another productive season as a junior. But in the season-opening win over Texas Tech, and after he’d totaled a career-high seven tackles and returned a kickoff for a touchdown, the second of his career, Jones went down with a season-ending ACL injury. He deserves consideration.


Sam Williams | SR | LB/DE | 6-3, 251

Why He Makes Sense: What’s not to like? Williams is one of the team’s top all-around playmakers, and if he duplicates or one-ups the production of his junior season, he’s sure to be selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Williams started eight of the 12 games in which he appeared last season. He led Ole Miss with six sacks, and, despite a break in his hand, finished with 9.5 tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries and 37 total tackles. He’s also a colorful personality who’d make for a great ambassador for the award in the same way Kentrell Lockett did. Or Eric Oliver. Or D.T. Shackelford. Or Jason Jones. He’s a sneaky great pick.


Jon Haynes | SR | DB | 5-11, 212

Why He Makes Sense: A week ago, I ranked the Top 10 Ole Miss NFL Draft prospects for 2021, which can be found HERE. Haynes came in at No. 5 (Williams was No. 1), but after some consideration, I think I may have short-changed him. Haynes appeared in 11 of 12 games with 10 starts as a junior. He was fourth on the team with 55 total tackles. While he was limited at times because of injury, he still had one interception, and his numbers are made more impressive by the fact Haynes, when he arrived at Ole Miss, couldn’t see at all. He’d never been fitted for contacts until Ole Miss identified and addressed the issue, which made a huge difference in his on-field performance. A story tailor-made for the Chucky Mullins Award, don’t you think? Seriously, with another full-season body of work under his belt, he could go down as one of the best Rebel safeties in a decade.


Lakia Henry | SR | LB | 6-0, 235

Why He Makes Sense: Henry is one of three linebackers (well, four, if you consider Williams more of a linebacker than a defensive end) listed here, and for good reason. The Chucky Mullins Award loves linebackers. Look at these names: Nate Wayne, Kevin Thomas, Lanier Goethie, Jamil Northcutt, Kelvin Robinson, Patrick Willis (the GOAT), Shackelford, Jones, Mike Marry and Marquis Haynes. Henry, as far as on-field production goes, is the best of the current crop of Rebels. First, the adversity. Haynes didn’t arrive at Ole Miss until last July. He was completely absent from offseason workouts. It didn’t matter. He started all 12 games at inside linebacker and led Ole Miss in tackles (88). He added 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He’s going to play on Sundays. Sure, he’s a quiet type, and might rank below a few others, but he’d be a solid selection for No. 38.


Jacquez Jones | JR | LB | 6-0, 232

Why He Makes Sense: Jones is a good dude and a hell of a football player. He started nine of 12 games last season and was second only to Henry in tackles (71), including 7.5 tackles for loss. He forced two fumbles. It’s no longer uncommon for juniors to win the Chucky Mullins Award. Shackelford opened the door when he became the first junior to receive the distinction as the 22nd recipient in 2011. When I originally sat down to make this list, Jones, in my mind, was the long-shot choice. But the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Granted, outside of a half-game suspension due to targeting last October, he doesn’t have the overcoming-adversity angle in his background. But it should be noted it was Jones who stepped in when Sanogo went down. No small thing.


SOURCE: Garrett, Ben. "​Who'll Wear No. 38? Six candidates for the Chucky Mullins Award." OMSpirit - 247Sports.com, 4 May 2020, https://247sports.com/college/ole-miss/Article/Wholl-Wear-No-38-Six-candidates-for-the-Chucky-Mullins-Award-146766443