NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Jermey Parnell is the ninth member of the 2008-09 Ole Miss squad to be headed to the National Football League, as the defensive end has signed a free-agent contract with New Orleans, as announced Monday by the Saints.

After a four-year career with the Rebel basketball team, Parnell joined the football squad for the final week of 2009 spring drills and saw action in five games in the fall, including the 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. The 6-foot-8, 242-pounder from Gosnell, Ark., was credited with one tackle for loss and earned his first football letter.

A power forward on the hardwood, Parnell ranks among Ole Miss' all-time leaders with 120 career games played, garnering the starting nod 44 times. As a senior, he helped the Rebels lead the SEC in rebounding margin and rank among the top 12 teams in the nation in rebounding. Parnell's final two seasons saw Ole Miss total 45 wins, win the 2007 SEC Western Division title and advance to the 2008 NIT Final Four.

Other Rebels inking NFL deals this offseason include Tony Fein with Seattle, Maurice Miller with Tampa Bay and Ashlee Palmer with Buffalo, while Jason Cook has agreed to sign with Baltimore.

The NFL Draft saw Michael Oher (Baltimore) and Peria Jerry (Atlanta) become the first tandem in Ole Miss history to be first-round NFL draft picks in the same year. Mike Wallace was chosen in the third round by Pittsburgh and Jamarca Sanford in the seventh round by Minnesota, giving the Rebels four selections in one draft for the first time since 2004.