First of all, know this as we get closer to the signing period: Ole Miss' roster is full and there will have to be room created for the 2022 signing class. This is rough math, if you will, but Ole Miss has nine super seniors and nine seniors who are eligible to return for the 2022 season. The 2020 Covid season, one that didn't count against anyone's eligibility, has created havoc on roster management, and that is certainly the case at Ole Miss. For lack of a better word, I look for several players to be "processed" after the regular season ends. It's the only way to create roster room. I think that number could very well be significant. I expect Ole Miss to be active in the transfer portal, both in terms of arrivals and exits.
It's conceivable that the NCAA provides some relief as it pertains to Covid-induced gluts, but until that happens, you can't count on it. For now, however, 85 scholarships remains a firm limit.
I absolutely look for Ole Miss to jump into the quarterback transfer market. The one name I consistently hear is Ohio State's Jack Miller. I'm sure there are others, and I suspect we'll hear rumors regarding Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler, but for now, the one name I feel has some basis in reality is Miller. But again, room has to be made first.
I look for Ole Miss to sign 10-12 kids or so in the early period, leaving room to use the portal and the February signing period. Don't hold me to those numbers, by the way. At this point, it's still rough math and there is still transfer legislation that must be formally finalized.
The top wide receiver on the board is four-star Barion Brown. It's down to Ole Miss, Kentucky and Alabama for Brown, and I'm told he really likes Ole Miss' offense and -- more importantly -- people close to him are telling himOle Miss might very well be the best fit. It'll be a close race to the finish.
The Rebels also really like four-star Antonio Williams, but I get the sense he's a step below Brown in the pecking order. It's likely a small step, and in the end, I think Ole Miss would make room for both players, but the crowded roster portion of this post likely needs to be remembered here. There are needs all over the field, and the portal could be chaotic. In other words, players could end up in the portal that Ole Miss would covet more than any high schooler. Keeping some flexibility in the roster will be paramount.
Three-star wide receiver Larry Simmons is committed to Ole Miss, but Mississippi State has made him a priority. There's a coach on the Moss Point staff, I'm told, who is pushing hard for the Bulldogs. Ole Miss wants Simmons and will fight for him, but his recruiting is something to keep an eye on.
There is some talk that Ole Miss is really interested in Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College offensive lineman Percy Lewis, who is committed to Oregon. I am told there's not much to that. Lewis doesn't appear to be a coveted target at this point.
I would keep an eye on Falentha Carswell. The three-star Miami commitment has Ole Miss' interest, per sources, and is absolutely a target. Given the relative unrest at Miami, the commitment list there is basically written in sand.
Speaking of Miami, Belle Glade, Fla., offensive tackle Ja'Kavion Nonar is another name to watch on Ole Miss' offensive line recruiting board. The Rebels really like him, and his stock is jumping during his senior year.
Offensive lineman Matthew McCoy recently picked up an Ole Miss offer and is set to officially visit Oxford next weekend. Florida offered McCoy recently as well, and the Gators are believed to be in the driver's seat at this point. The Ole Miss visit will be critical, obviously, for the Rebels' chances.
Zach Berry has talked a lot about Khamauri Rogers, the four-star defensive back from Lexington, Miss. Rogers is committed to Miami but sources simply don't believe he'll end up there. I know there's a lot of Ole Miss talk, but watch for Mississippi State on Rogers. The Bulldogs are absolutely involved.
Recently, Davison Igbinosun recommitted from Rutgers and reopened his recruitment. Ole Miss freaking loves him. Coaches, I'm told, believe he's a future star, an impact player from the jump at the SEC level. He's tall, rangy and smart. He's a major priority. He recently took a visit to Tennessee and he'll visit Penn State and Ole Miss soon.
Another name to watch is Alabaster (Thompson), Ala., defensive back Trequon Fegans. He recently de-committed from Miami and is drawing major interest from Ole Miss, Florida, Florida State, Arkansas and others. He's related (not sure how precisely) to former Ole Miss star Trae Elston. I've got two nephews in the Thompson program. I'll see what I can learn.
Keep an eye on Shreveport (Captain Shreve), La., wide receiver/athlete Kendrick Law. He visited Ole Miss in the summer and really liked it, but he was likely headed to LSU. Of course, there's upheaval on the way in Baton Rouge, and Law is looking around. Ole Miss will be on his list of schools to check out, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State and others.
There will be lots of talk around four-star defensive tackle Jaheim Otis until the ink is dry on his NLI. Otis is committed to Alabama, but it's a three-team race for his signature. Mississippi State is "all in" on Otis, per sources, and is a very legitimate threat for his services. There is some belief among people close to Otis that Alabama will move him to the offensive line, and he would much prefer to play defense. Otis, per sources, wants to play for a school that can compete for titles, which makes this season pretty important for both the Rebels and Bulldogs. Frankly, the more Ole Miss wins, the better. Again, it's a three-team race. My sources believe Ole Miss is third right now, but it's really, really close.
Ole Miss is recruiting Crystal Springs, Miss., defensive end Trevion Williams and has made up ground in the race for his services recently, per sources. He recently de-committed from Florida State and also has offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Memphis and others. He's family friends with Mississippi State commitment Trent Singleton, so the Bulldogs are factors. So is LSU, though instability there hurts the Tigers. For now, it's a three-team race (Ole Miss, MSU and LSU), and it's too close to call, per sources.
Four-star linebacker Jaron Willis remains committed to Georgia Tech, but sources believe he's definitely looking around. Arkansas, Florida, Florida State and Kentucky are all involved, but it's Ole Miss, per sources, that has the best shot at flipping him.
Speaking of linebackers, all eyes remain on Madison, Miss., two-sport standout Stone Blanton. Ole Miss is, per sources, "plugging away." If it weren't for baseball, he'd be committed to Ole Miss by now, per a source. Baseball is keeping Mississippi State in it, though football will drive the decision. His father, a Mississippi State fan, really likes Lane Kiffin and DJ Durkin. In the end, it's just really close right now.
Just one basketball note:
Ole Miss is in hot pursuit of four-star power forward Jalen Reed, the son of the late Justin Reed, who starred at Ole Miss before enjoying an NBA career. The 6-foot-10 Reed has taken visits to Ole Miss and Arizona State. At the end of the day, I really like Ole Miss' chances. How good is Reed, by the way?
"I think he's going to be a monster," a source said.
It's conceivable that the NCAA provides some relief as it pertains to Covid-induced gluts, but until that happens, you can't count on it. For now, however, 85 scholarships remains a firm limit.
I absolutely look for Ole Miss to jump into the quarterback transfer market. The one name I consistently hear is Ohio State's Jack Miller. I'm sure there are others, and I suspect we'll hear rumors regarding Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler, but for now, the one name I feel has some basis in reality is Miller. But again, room has to be made first.
I look for Ole Miss to sign 10-12 kids or so in the early period, leaving room to use the portal and the February signing period. Don't hold me to those numbers, by the way. At this point, it's still rough math and there is still transfer legislation that must be formally finalized.
The top wide receiver on the board is four-star Barion Brown. It's down to Ole Miss, Kentucky and Alabama for Brown, and I'm told he really likes Ole Miss' offense and -- more importantly -- people close to him are telling himOle Miss might very well be the best fit. It'll be a close race to the finish.
The Rebels also really like four-star Antonio Williams, but I get the sense he's a step below Brown in the pecking order. It's likely a small step, and in the end, I think Ole Miss would make room for both players, but the crowded roster portion of this post likely needs to be remembered here. There are needs all over the field, and the portal could be chaotic. In other words, players could end up in the portal that Ole Miss would covet more than any high schooler. Keeping some flexibility in the roster will be paramount.
Three-star wide receiver Larry Simmons is committed to Ole Miss, but Mississippi State has made him a priority. There's a coach on the Moss Point staff, I'm told, who is pushing hard for the Bulldogs. Ole Miss wants Simmons and will fight for him, but his recruiting is something to keep an eye on.
There is some talk that Ole Miss is really interested in Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College offensive lineman Percy Lewis, who is committed to Oregon. I am told there's not much to that. Lewis doesn't appear to be a coveted target at this point.
I would keep an eye on Falentha Carswell. The three-star Miami commitment has Ole Miss' interest, per sources, and is absolutely a target. Given the relative unrest at Miami, the commitment list there is basically written in sand.
Speaking of Miami, Belle Glade, Fla., offensive tackle Ja'Kavion Nonar is another name to watch on Ole Miss' offensive line recruiting board. The Rebels really like him, and his stock is jumping during his senior year.
Offensive lineman Matthew McCoy recently picked up an Ole Miss offer and is set to officially visit Oxford next weekend. Florida offered McCoy recently as well, and the Gators are believed to be in the driver's seat at this point. The Ole Miss visit will be critical, obviously, for the Rebels' chances.
Zach Berry has talked a lot about Khamauri Rogers, the four-star defensive back from Lexington, Miss. Rogers is committed to Miami but sources simply don't believe he'll end up there. I know there's a lot of Ole Miss talk, but watch for Mississippi State on Rogers. The Bulldogs are absolutely involved.
Recently, Davison Igbinosun recommitted from Rutgers and reopened his recruitment. Ole Miss freaking loves him. Coaches, I'm told, believe he's a future star, an impact player from the jump at the SEC level. He's tall, rangy and smart. He's a major priority. He recently took a visit to Tennessee and he'll visit Penn State and Ole Miss soon.
Another name to watch is Alabaster (Thompson), Ala., defensive back Trequon Fegans. He recently de-committed from Miami and is drawing major interest from Ole Miss, Florida, Florida State, Arkansas and others. He's related (not sure how precisely) to former Ole Miss star Trae Elston. I've got two nephews in the Thompson program. I'll see what I can learn.
Keep an eye on Shreveport (Captain Shreve), La., wide receiver/athlete Kendrick Law. He visited Ole Miss in the summer and really liked it, but he was likely headed to LSU. Of course, there's upheaval on the way in Baton Rouge, and Law is looking around. Ole Miss will be on his list of schools to check out, along with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State and others.
There will be lots of talk around four-star defensive tackle Jaheim Otis until the ink is dry on his NLI. Otis is committed to Alabama, but it's a three-team race for his signature. Mississippi State is "all in" on Otis, per sources, and is a very legitimate threat for his services. There is some belief among people close to Otis that Alabama will move him to the offensive line, and he would much prefer to play defense. Otis, per sources, wants to play for a school that can compete for titles, which makes this season pretty important for both the Rebels and Bulldogs. Frankly, the more Ole Miss wins, the better. Again, it's a three-team race. My sources believe Ole Miss is third right now, but it's really, really close.
Ole Miss is recruiting Crystal Springs, Miss., defensive end Trevion Williams and has made up ground in the race for his services recently, per sources. He recently de-committed from Florida State and also has offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Memphis and others. He's family friends with Mississippi State commitment Trent Singleton, so the Bulldogs are factors. So is LSU, though instability there hurts the Tigers. For now, it's a three-team race (Ole Miss, MSU and LSU), and it's too close to call, per sources.
Four-star linebacker Jaron Willis remains committed to Georgia Tech, but sources believe he's definitely looking around. Arkansas, Florida, Florida State and Kentucky are all involved, but it's Ole Miss, per sources, that has the best shot at flipping him.
Speaking of linebackers, all eyes remain on Madison, Miss., two-sport standout Stone Blanton. Ole Miss is, per sources, "plugging away." If it weren't for baseball, he'd be committed to Ole Miss by now, per a source. Baseball is keeping Mississippi State in it, though football will drive the decision. His father, a Mississippi State fan, really likes Lane Kiffin and DJ Durkin. In the end, it's just really close right now.
Just one basketball note:
Ole Miss is in hot pursuit of four-star power forward Jalen Reed, the son of the late Justin Reed, who starred at Ole Miss before enjoying an NBA career. The 6-foot-10 Reed has taken visits to Ole Miss and Arizona State. At the end of the day, I really like Ole Miss' chances. How good is Reed, by the way?
"I think he's going to be a monster," a source said.
