A.J. Brown, an alumnus of Ole Miss Football and a wide receiver for the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles, will be the keynote speaker for the University of Mississippi’s 2025 Commencement Convocation on Saturday, May 10.
In a press statement, Chancellor Glenn Boyce shared his enthusiasm for Brown.
“It is an honor to welcome A.J. Brown back to campus as our 2025 Commencement speaker,” Boyce said. “He is the epitome of excellence, determination and service — all characteristics that our graduates will need as they embark on the next steps in their own journeys.”
Brown, a Starkville native, was the 47th-ranked player nationally in the 2016 recruiting class when he committed to play for Ole Miss. He played in all 12 games as a freshman that year, recording 29 receptions for 412 yards and two touchdowns. In his sophomore year, he led the Southeastern Conference with 1,252 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns en route to a First-team All-SEC selection.
Brown broke the university’s single-season record for both receiving yards and receptions in his junior year, totaling 85 receptions for 1,320 yards for another First-team All-SEC selection. By the end of the season, Brown held the university record for career receiving yards.
In December 2018, Brown declared for the 2019 NFL Draft and was selected by the Tennessee Titans. With the Titans, Brown finished third in AP Rookie of the Year voting before being selected to the Pro Bowl in his second season.
In 2022, Brown was sent to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a First- and third-round draft pick. That season, Brown was named to the Pro Bowl and was a Second-team All-Pro, finishing ninth in Most Valuable Player voting. Brown was again named to the Pro Bowl and was a Second-team All-Pro in his 2023 campaign.
Beyond his football career, Brown launched the A. J. Brown Foundation in 2023. Through the foundation, Brown has advocated for literacy and for education and mentorship for young people. The Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy named him the 2024 Emerging Young Philanthropist for his impact on Oxford and the surrounding area.
“I think it’s super cool that A.J. Brown is giving the commencement speech this year,” Billy Kuhl, a freshman journalism major, said. “I am personally a big fan of him, not just for being an Ole Miss alumnus and his abilities on the field, but for the person he is off the field, which is what makes him such a great choice to speak this year.”
Previous Commencement speakers include Bradford Cobb, a 1996 Ole Miss alumnus and music industry executive, in 2022; UM alumna Stephanie Hickman, president and CEO of Trice Construction Co., in 2023; and Wright Thompson, an award-winning senior writer for ESPN, in 2024.
Commencement ceremonies will be held from Wednesday, May 7 to May 10 in various campus locations, with Convocation set for 9 a.m. on May 10 in the Grove.
