Pete Golding hasn’t been the Ole Miss Rebels‘ head football coach for long, but he’s wasting no time making waves in the role. On the field, he has orchestrated a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Off it, he’s recruiting like his hair is on fire.
According to ESPN’s Max Olson, Nevada defensive end Jonathan Maldonado has signed with the Rebels. The rising redshirt senior linebacker recorded 38 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and a pick-six for the Wolfpack this season.
Nevada transfer DE Jonathan Maldonado has signed with Ole Miss, ESPN has learned.
— Max Olson (@max_olson) January 4, 2026
Pete Golding continues his hot start in portal recruiting with a 6-foot-6 edge rusher who put up 9 TFLs, 5 sacks and a pick-six in 2025. pic.twitter.com/2SDpJIaUhb
Maldonado, a Monrovia, CA native, notched a combined 26 tackles and 3 sacks from 2023-24. His breakout coincided with that of defensive lineman Dylan Laberbera, who totaled 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Their performances were bright spots in Nevada’s 3-9 campaign.
Maldonado is the fourth defensive transfer Pete Golding landed this weekend, joining Jay Crawford (Auburn), Keaton Thomas (Baylor) and Sharif Denson (Florida). They should help Golding build a strong unit for his first regular season as Ole Miss’ head coach.
While Golding continues his work on the recruiting trail, the rest of the Rebels will maintain their preparation for Thursday night’s CFP semifinal matchup against the Miami Hurricanes.
