Neal McCready
Ole Miss' coaches have hit the road, taking advantage of a bye week before the final stretch of four games starting with the Nov. 9 date with Arkansas and ending with the Thanksgiving night Egg Bowl showdown with Mississippi State.
Coaches have scattered somewhat. Running backs coach Derrick Nix was in Florida Thursday, visiting IMG running back/Alabama commitment Bo Scarbrough. Nix will be in Georgia today to watch Ole Miss commitment Chris Williams. Sources continue to insist the Rebels will be a factor for Scarbrough. Alabama won't give him up easily, however, so expect a long, drawn-out fight if he's to end up in Oxford.
Wide receivers coach Grant Heard is in Louisiana watching Lake Charles wide receiver/LSU commitment Trey Quinn and Covington defensive lineman Garrald McDowell. Quinn likes Ole Miss but he's going to stick with LSU. The Rebels have a strong shot at McDowell.
Offensive coordinator Dan Werner will be in Brandon, Miss., tonight, watching 2015 targets Fletcher Adams and Gardner Minshew. Adams, a defensive lineman, appears to favor Mississippi State, while Minshew, a quarterback, is still waiting on an SEC offer. Minshew was in Oxford last weekend for Ole Miss' win over Idaho.
Ole Miss defensive line coach Chris Kiffin will be in the Atlanta area tonight to watch McDonough defensive end Andrew Williams. Williams has a long list of suitors, but it appears Auburn and Ole Miss have begun to separate themselves from the pack.
Ole Miss offensive line coach Matt Luke will be in Milton, Ga., tonight to scout Class of '15 offensive tackle Nick Wilson. The Rebels have eyed Wilson for more than a year.
Cornerbacks coach Jason Jones will be in Georgia watching cornerback Kendarius Webster. The Rebels, according to sources, continue to lead Florida State for Webster's services. Webster and former Notre Dame signee/Rivals100 standout Tee Shepard appear to be the Rebels' top targets at cornerback. River Ridge, La., product Terrence Alexander is also very much a want at one of the most pressing positions of need on the Ole Miss roster. Shepard, by the way, is due in Oxford next Saturday.
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze will be the MUS game in Memphis Friday watching kicker/Ole Miss commitment Gary Wunderlich (hey Gary, if you need kicking tips, there's a video on the site you should check out; just saying) and 2015 offensive line target Drew Richmond. Everyone wants Richmond, but personally, I think it will come down to Ole Miss, Alabama and Tennessee, in some order.
Some random notes:
Momentum continues to shift Ole Miss' way for four-star wide receiver/Florida State commitment Markell Pack. Pack will be in Tallahassee Saturday for the Seminoles showdown with Miami, but it's likely FSU's final chance to pull him away from Ole Miss, per sources. …Ole Miss, according to sources, feels better by the day about its chances with Meridian defensive back/Rebel commitment C.J. Hampton. Alabama has made a strong move, but it appears Ole Miss is regaining momentum. Rivals100 defensive back Jamal Adams, per sources, favors Florida, but there is concern in his decision-making circle that Will Muschamp's days in Gainesville are numbered. Ole Miss is a major player for Adams, and he and Hampton have grown close during the recruiting process. …Junior college defensive end D.J. Pettway has put off mixed messages, per sources. Ole Miss feels good, and it should; however, Alabama remains a factor. Will the Tide take Pettway back? That's the big question in his recruiting. No one seems to know the answer. …Despite optimism among some close to Ole Miss, former Olive Branch, Miss., standout Avery Gennesy appears destined for somewhere other than Oxford. Ohio State is a strong possibility.
Ole Miss has put itself in position to really pay attention to some top 2015 prospects in the next few months. Petal, Miss. , offensive tackle Javon Patterson could make an early decision. If he does, it's Ole Miss. Patterson, Jackson wide receiver Malik Dear, Bassfield athlete Jamal Peters, Hernando offensive lineman Matt Wommack, North Panola wide receiver Willie Hibbler, Meridian quarterback J'Mar Smith, Yazoo City defensive end Tim Washington, Louisville wide receiver Donte Jones, Minshew, Olive Branch linebacker Fred Walls, Collins safety Mark McLaurin, Batesville running back Darrell Henderson and Terry wide receiver Titus Ivory are top in-state Ole Miss targets for 2015.
Finally, while we haven't been able to get in touch with five-star strong-side defensive end Kentavius Street, I continue to hear from sources that his visit to Ole Miss went extremely well and the Rebels appear to have a legitimate shot at his signature. Street will visit Florida State this weekend, and the proximity of his Greenville, N.C., home to North Carolina State's campus makes the Wolfpack a major player. LSU is in the mix as well, but Street really liked Ole Miss, loved several aspects of Hugh Freeze's program and has _ again, according to sources _ expressed interest in returning on an unofficial visit to check Oxford and the Rebels out again. His recruitment is worth following.
Switching to basketball, Ole Miss has been keeping tabs on a couple of potential targets at familiar locales. The Rebels have, according to sources, recently scouted South Plains (Texas) College guard Roderick Lawrence (an Orlando, Fla., product) and Sunrise Christian (Kan.) forward Marvin Clark. Clark, a 6-foot-7 standout, is also considering Kansas State and Seton Hall.
Chase Parham
Neal talked about DJ Pettway above, but I'll hit that situation a little more here. He's interesting because every sign points to him doing all he can to turn the page and move on from what happened at Alabama. Obviously the Crimson Tide are still lingering, and he also visited Tennessee, but he's wanting to be as far away as possible from the other people involved that night. Pettway wasn't the most egregious offender -- more of a do nothing instead of good, guilty by association it seems. He's handling the recruiting process very well just judging by industry scuttlebutt. He's not giving on-the-record interviews and wants to stay as quiet as possible while working on football and classwork. He's gone even more quiet as a reporter or two didn't honor that off-the-record stance. Pettway visited Tennessee and is making the round, but it certainly seems like Ole Miss-Alabama. I don't know what will happen, but the talented defensive end is certainly putting his best foot forward.
I've heard some positives with 2015 safety Jamal Peters out of Bassfield. I'm not aware of any timetable, but the Rebels are certainly of early interest there. He's wearing Rebel clothes a good bit, and while that could simply be grabbing some gear while in town -- Channing Ward wore an Auburn towel for weeks -- it's easier to pipeline a school like Bassfield. With Ole Miss getting the Moore brothers, other kids could naturally gravitate because it's a smaller school, and prospects are headed everywhere. However that is a hellacious collection of talent for a 2A school.
As I'm sure most of you saw this week, the NCAA has adopted five new rules with four of them pertaining to recruiting. The recruiting ones are interesting.
The one not pertaining to recruiting is football players can now participate in eight hours per week of required weight training and conditioning and two of those can be film review. I assume this was already happening…
The one most talked about is schools can no longer attend all-star games or activities. No coaches at the Miss-Al event. No coaches at the Under Armour or Army games. Ole Miss made hay at these events last year, but it was because of the players recruiting each other. Frankly, there might be a few instances where a coaching staff makes an impression, but they cancel each other out most often, and it's a hectic scene. This makes the event easier for the player. That's not a bad thing. Schools will still send mail to the players' rooms. The reason for this rule…
… There's now a dead period from Dec. 16 to Jan. 15. No in-person recruiting can take place during this time. It's a holiday break and the time that includes the AFCA convention. It also evens the recruiting field for those teams preparing for a bowl game. What's it gonna mean? Well, it'll be quieter than normal during those weeks, but from Jan. 15 to National Signing Day will be crazier than ever, as schools fight for visits and deal with an abbreviated stretch run. The old rule was contact from Dec. 1 to Feb. 1 except for quiet on Dec. 15, dead Dec. 16-19, quiet Dec. 20-21, quiet Dec. 22 and dead Dec. 23-Jan. 3. There was also a dead period for Jan. 13-16.
There's a two-week dead period in the summer so coaches get a bit of a break. Good rule.
One that's being glossed over, but I really like is schools can now pay for meals of up to four family members who accompany a recruit on an official visit. I'm all for family inclusiveness on visits. some of the prior rules were stupid in that regard.
Tennessee continues to recruit Ole Miss running back commit Akeem Judd. The JUCO back has struggled with injury this season and has lost out on carries to former Auburn commit Jovon Robinson. Judd had six carries for 16 yards on Oct. 12. The school had a game canceled on the 19th and pounded Georgia Prep Sports Academy, 67-16, on the 24th. Judd had his best game, eight carries for 95 yards and a score, in that one. Robinson had 21 carries for 205 yards. GMC is 9-0 and winning games by an average score of 44-18. How about we just line them up against EMCC and see what happens?
Jamal Adams plans to make a decision before the calendar changes to 2014.
Bo Scarbrough is officially visiting UCLA this weekend. He was supposed to visit Oklahoma last week but didn't make the trip. He was at Alabama instead.
This post was edited on 11/1 8:13 AM by Chase Parham
Ole Miss' coaches have hit the road, taking advantage of a bye week before the final stretch of four games starting with the Nov. 9 date with Arkansas and ending with the Thanksgiving night Egg Bowl showdown with Mississippi State.
Coaches have scattered somewhat. Running backs coach Derrick Nix was in Florida Thursday, visiting IMG running back/Alabama commitment Bo Scarbrough. Nix will be in Georgia today to watch Ole Miss commitment Chris Williams. Sources continue to insist the Rebels will be a factor for Scarbrough. Alabama won't give him up easily, however, so expect a long, drawn-out fight if he's to end up in Oxford.
Wide receivers coach Grant Heard is in Louisiana watching Lake Charles wide receiver/LSU commitment Trey Quinn and Covington defensive lineman Garrald McDowell. Quinn likes Ole Miss but he's going to stick with LSU. The Rebels have a strong shot at McDowell.
Offensive coordinator Dan Werner will be in Brandon, Miss., tonight, watching 2015 targets Fletcher Adams and Gardner Minshew. Adams, a defensive lineman, appears to favor Mississippi State, while Minshew, a quarterback, is still waiting on an SEC offer. Minshew was in Oxford last weekend for Ole Miss' win over Idaho.
Ole Miss defensive line coach Chris Kiffin will be in the Atlanta area tonight to watch McDonough defensive end Andrew Williams. Williams has a long list of suitors, but it appears Auburn and Ole Miss have begun to separate themselves from the pack.
Ole Miss offensive line coach Matt Luke will be in Milton, Ga., tonight to scout Class of '15 offensive tackle Nick Wilson. The Rebels have eyed Wilson for more than a year.
Cornerbacks coach Jason Jones will be in Georgia watching cornerback Kendarius Webster. The Rebels, according to sources, continue to lead Florida State for Webster's services. Webster and former Notre Dame signee/Rivals100 standout Tee Shepard appear to be the Rebels' top targets at cornerback. River Ridge, La., product Terrence Alexander is also very much a want at one of the most pressing positions of need on the Ole Miss roster. Shepard, by the way, is due in Oxford next Saturday.
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze will be the MUS game in Memphis Friday watching kicker/Ole Miss commitment Gary Wunderlich (hey Gary, if you need kicking tips, there's a video on the site you should check out; just saying) and 2015 offensive line target Drew Richmond. Everyone wants Richmond, but personally, I think it will come down to Ole Miss, Alabama and Tennessee, in some order.
Some random notes:
Momentum continues to shift Ole Miss' way for four-star wide receiver/Florida State commitment Markell Pack. Pack will be in Tallahassee Saturday for the Seminoles showdown with Miami, but it's likely FSU's final chance to pull him away from Ole Miss, per sources. …Ole Miss, according to sources, feels better by the day about its chances with Meridian defensive back/Rebel commitment C.J. Hampton. Alabama has made a strong move, but it appears Ole Miss is regaining momentum. Rivals100 defensive back Jamal Adams, per sources, favors Florida, but there is concern in his decision-making circle that Will Muschamp's days in Gainesville are numbered. Ole Miss is a major player for Adams, and he and Hampton have grown close during the recruiting process. …Junior college defensive end D.J. Pettway has put off mixed messages, per sources. Ole Miss feels good, and it should; however, Alabama remains a factor. Will the Tide take Pettway back? That's the big question in his recruiting. No one seems to know the answer. …Despite optimism among some close to Ole Miss, former Olive Branch, Miss., standout Avery Gennesy appears destined for somewhere other than Oxford. Ohio State is a strong possibility.
Ole Miss has put itself in position to really pay attention to some top 2015 prospects in the next few months. Petal, Miss. , offensive tackle Javon Patterson could make an early decision. If he does, it's Ole Miss. Patterson, Jackson wide receiver Malik Dear, Bassfield athlete Jamal Peters, Hernando offensive lineman Matt Wommack, North Panola wide receiver Willie Hibbler, Meridian quarterback J'Mar Smith, Yazoo City defensive end Tim Washington, Louisville wide receiver Donte Jones, Minshew, Olive Branch linebacker Fred Walls, Collins safety Mark McLaurin, Batesville running back Darrell Henderson and Terry wide receiver Titus Ivory are top in-state Ole Miss targets for 2015.
Finally, while we haven't been able to get in touch with five-star strong-side defensive end Kentavius Street, I continue to hear from sources that his visit to Ole Miss went extremely well and the Rebels appear to have a legitimate shot at his signature. Street will visit Florida State this weekend, and the proximity of his Greenville, N.C., home to North Carolina State's campus makes the Wolfpack a major player. LSU is in the mix as well, but Street really liked Ole Miss, loved several aspects of Hugh Freeze's program and has _ again, according to sources _ expressed interest in returning on an unofficial visit to check Oxford and the Rebels out again. His recruitment is worth following.
Switching to basketball, Ole Miss has been keeping tabs on a couple of potential targets at familiar locales. The Rebels have, according to sources, recently scouted South Plains (Texas) College guard Roderick Lawrence (an Orlando, Fla., product) and Sunrise Christian (Kan.) forward Marvin Clark. Clark, a 6-foot-7 standout, is also considering Kansas State and Seton Hall.
Chase Parham
Neal talked about DJ Pettway above, but I'll hit that situation a little more here. He's interesting because every sign points to him doing all he can to turn the page and move on from what happened at Alabama. Obviously the Crimson Tide are still lingering, and he also visited Tennessee, but he's wanting to be as far away as possible from the other people involved that night. Pettway wasn't the most egregious offender -- more of a do nothing instead of good, guilty by association it seems. He's handling the recruiting process very well just judging by industry scuttlebutt. He's not giving on-the-record interviews and wants to stay as quiet as possible while working on football and classwork. He's gone even more quiet as a reporter or two didn't honor that off-the-record stance. Pettway visited Tennessee and is making the round, but it certainly seems like Ole Miss-Alabama. I don't know what will happen, but the talented defensive end is certainly putting his best foot forward.
I've heard some positives with 2015 safety Jamal Peters out of Bassfield. I'm not aware of any timetable, but the Rebels are certainly of early interest there. He's wearing Rebel clothes a good bit, and while that could simply be grabbing some gear while in town -- Channing Ward wore an Auburn towel for weeks -- it's easier to pipeline a school like Bassfield. With Ole Miss getting the Moore brothers, other kids could naturally gravitate because it's a smaller school, and prospects are headed everywhere. However that is a hellacious collection of talent for a 2A school.
As I'm sure most of you saw this week, the NCAA has adopted five new rules with four of them pertaining to recruiting. The recruiting ones are interesting.
The one not pertaining to recruiting is football players can now participate in eight hours per week of required weight training and conditioning and two of those can be film review. I assume this was already happening…
The one most talked about is schools can no longer attend all-star games or activities. No coaches at the Miss-Al event. No coaches at the Under Armour or Army games. Ole Miss made hay at these events last year, but it was because of the players recruiting each other. Frankly, there might be a few instances where a coaching staff makes an impression, but they cancel each other out most often, and it's a hectic scene. This makes the event easier for the player. That's not a bad thing. Schools will still send mail to the players' rooms. The reason for this rule…
… There's now a dead period from Dec. 16 to Jan. 15. No in-person recruiting can take place during this time. It's a holiday break and the time that includes the AFCA convention. It also evens the recruiting field for those teams preparing for a bowl game. What's it gonna mean? Well, it'll be quieter than normal during those weeks, but from Jan. 15 to National Signing Day will be crazier than ever, as schools fight for visits and deal with an abbreviated stretch run. The old rule was contact from Dec. 1 to Feb. 1 except for quiet on Dec. 15, dead Dec. 16-19, quiet Dec. 20-21, quiet Dec. 22 and dead Dec. 23-Jan. 3. There was also a dead period for Jan. 13-16.
There's a two-week dead period in the summer so coaches get a bit of a break. Good rule.
One that's being glossed over, but I really like is schools can now pay for meals of up to four family members who accompany a recruit on an official visit. I'm all for family inclusiveness on visits. some of the prior rules were stupid in that regard.
Tennessee continues to recruit Ole Miss running back commit Akeem Judd. The JUCO back has struggled with injury this season and has lost out on carries to former Auburn commit Jovon Robinson. Judd had six carries for 16 yards on Oct. 12. The school had a game canceled on the 19th and pounded Georgia Prep Sports Academy, 67-16, on the 24th. Judd had his best game, eight carries for 95 yards and a score, in that one. Robinson had 21 carries for 205 yards. GMC is 9-0 and winning games by an average score of 44-18. How about we just line them up against EMCC and see what happens?
Jamal Adams plans to make a decision before the calendar changes to 2014.
Bo Scarbrough is officially visiting UCLA this weekend. He was supposed to visit Oklahoma last week but didn't make the trip. He was at Alabama instead.
This post was edited on 11/1 8:13 AM by Chase Parham
