Neal McCready
Ole Miss picked up a huge commitment from Rosedale, Miss., Class of 2013 running back Kailo Moore earlier this week, but the Rebels will likely get greedy at the position.
Tupelo, Miss., athlete Ashton Shumpert, who will likely play running back in college as well, camped at Ole Miss last weekend, hoping to show the Rebels he can be a power back “and not just a shaker.” Shumpert said he’s real interested in Ole Miss and Mississippi State and he raved about both programs last weekend. In fact, Shumpert didn’t express an interest in any other program. He said he will watch both the Rebels and the Bulldogs quite a bit this fall, primarily focusing on how the two schools’ offenses use their running backs.
Memphis, Tenn., running back Jordan Wilkins also saw his stock rise in Oxford. Wilkins picked up an Ole Miss offer Saturday, and the Rebels moved ahead of Tennessee and others in the race for his February 2013 signature.
“I like it,” Wilkins said. “It’s a great program. I like all the coaches, especially the running backs coach (Derrick Nix). I want to play close to home and get early playing time. Ole Miss is probably the one. It’s close to home and they have running backs leaving. I could have quick playing time coming here.”
Wilkins said he’ll make a decision sometime next summer.
The Rebels will also be looking for quarterbacks in the 2013 class. C.J. Beathard is already a commitment for 2012, and Oxford native Jeremy Liggins is a target (though it’s debatable whether he can play quarterback at the college level at his current size), but going forward, Ole Miss will likely look to sign one quarterback in each class.
Salt Lake City, Utah native Cooper Bateman is an early candidate for that spot. Bateman camped at Ole Miss last weekend and was clearly blown away by the passion for college football that is so prevalent in the Southeast.
“It’s definitely different down here than it is in Utah,” Bateman said. “Kids down here, you can tell, are athletes. They are different kids than I’m used to, and that’s not a bad thing. I love it down here. You can tell it’s a college town. The people down here and the hospitality from the people, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I love it.”
Bateman said he’s also hearing from California, Arizona State and Vanderbilt. Brigham Young, Utah, Utah State and Maryland have already offered, but Bateman is in no hurry to make a decision.
Goshen, Ala., running back Reginald Foster camped at Ole Miss last weekend, hoping he can earn a scholarship offer. He’s a guy to keep an eye on this fall, as the Rebels look for another running back to go along with commitment Jaylen Walton. It was Foster’s grandmother’s dying wish that he go to Ole Miss to play college football. Mary Foster died last year, Reginald Foster said. If her grandson, who rushed for 1,628 yards last season, is offered by Ole Miss, he’ll jump at it.
Mayfield, Ky., linebacker Jonathan Jackson, who will likely be a top 2013 target, camped at Ole Miss last weekend as well. The Rebels appear close to offering Jackson, as are Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska and Oregon. Jackson is considered a strong tackler, and though he doubles as a tailback in high school, he said he will almost certainly play defense at the college level. Jackson said Ole Miss “will be in the mix, for sure.”
With tight end Austin Ray committing to Ole Miss Wednesday, the Rebels will likely take just one more tight end in the 2012 class. At one point, I thought Columbus, Miss., native Lawrence Brown would be that guy. After talking to him after Saturday’s camp, I no longer have that feeling. Brown said Ole Miss told him they’ll be watching this fall, and “they’re up there, along with some other schools I’m looking at. They’re definitely a school I’m considering.” Maybe I mis-read him, but his eyes seemed to tell a different story.
It’s also worth noting that the Rebels seemed awfully impressed with Brownsboro, Texas, tight end Nick Jones. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder has just two offers (from Louisiana-Monroe and Northwestern State), but he looked like a prospect whose stock was on the rise. The same could likely be said for Forth Worth, Texas, tight end Walker Ryan. It appeared Jones was more of a camp standout than Ryan, but it’s clear the Rebels are looking for big, physical tight ends with enough athleticism to help in the passing game. Ole Miss will continue evaluating both prospects. That’s been a bit of a recurring theme this week.
For example, Ole Miss has elected not to extend formal offers to the Ruston, La., duo of cornerback Kentrell Brice and safety Cyril Noland. Instead, the Rebels intend to keep tabs on both players. Brice is committed to Missouri, but his recent trip to the Columbia, Mo., campus didn’t blow him away and the distance from Missouri to his home in north central Louisiana could be a factor. Noland absolutely loved Ole Miss and would likely commit with an offer. However, the Rebels have players ahead of him on their wish list at safety, namely Florida four-star Jordan Diggs. Personally, while I think Diggs likes Ole Miss and safeties coach/recruiting coordinator Chris Vaughn, I think the Rebels’ chances at landing Diggs and his high school teammate, cornerback Tyreece Jiles, are not strong.
Speaking of cornerback, it is our informed belief that Ole Miss is on the cusp of a commitment from cornerback Ray Buchanan, Jr.. Buchanan would only say he’s “thinking about coming up there again for an official visit,” adding that Ole Miss, Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland and Purdue are on top of his list, in “no order.” However, multiple sources indicate Ole Miss and Arkansas are far and away Buchanan’s top choices, and Ole Miss’ need for cornerbacks and the proximity of Oxford to Atlanta as opposed to Fayetteville to Atlanta has the Rebels way out ahead. I won’t be at all surprised to see some sort of commitment from Buchanan to an SEC West school sometime soon. My bet would be Ole Miss.
Earlier this week, we wrote a story detailing Ole Miss’ offering of Fruit Cove, Fla., wide receiver Bobby Walker. Walker was giddy about his first SEC offer on Tuesday night. He emailed me Thursday, letting me know he and his family are making the trip to Oxford on Sunday for an unofficial visit with the Rebels on Monday.
A football note: With Aaron Garbutt qualifying academically, it appears all of Ole Miss’ 2011 signees are ready to go when newcomers report Thursday. The word around the program is this class has had an incredibly impressive summer. Several players, according to those insiders, are expected to contribute immediately. The expectations around that group appear to be very high.
Some quick hoops notes: Program insiders are absolutely thrilled with the progress being made by the newcomers this summer. Jarvis Summers is having the kind of summer that could lead to him being the Rebels’ starting point guard when the season begins, especially if Dundrecous Nelson opens the season at shooting guard while the Rebels wait for Jalen Kendrick to become eligible at the conclusion of the fall semester. Guard Maurice Aniefiok has been battling ankle injuries, though there is a belief inside the program that the Nigeria native might be the best athlete in the program. Finally, there’s nothing but confidence in Ole Miss-turned-South Carolina-turned-back-to-Ole Miss forward Murphy Holloway’s appeal to the NCAA for a waiver from the governing body’s transfer rule.
Additionally, Andy Kennedy and Co., have been on the road all month searching for future players. As we referenced earlier this week, Ole Miss is believed to be in very good shape for Memphis guard Martavious Newby. Additionally, the Rebels have scouted Lawrenceville, Ga., forward Anthony Morse. College Park, Ga., small forward Marcus Hunt is also a top priority, though there appears to be plenty of competition for his signature. Ole Miss has also offered Marietta, Ga., shooting guard Justin Seymour. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Seymour has seen his stock begin to jump on the summer circuit. Before Ole Miss offered, Seymour had offers from Charlotte, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Tennessee Tech, UTEP, VCU, Wichita State and Wofford. Ole Miss is also believed to be kicking the proverbial tires on Thomasville, Ga., forward Willie Clayton, though Clayton’s stock has leveled out a bit this summer.
Ole Miss has offered rising junior Treshawn Bolden. The Jackson, Miss., native, according to Rivals.com hoops analyst Eric Bossi “is a tough, physical and streamlined athlete who scores opportunistically on put-backs and slams. Every team needs a guy to do some dirty work and he seems happy to do so.”
Ole Miss, Auburn, Memphis and Vanderbilt have offered rising junior shooting guard Robert Hubbs. Hubbs, a Newbern, Tenn., product who plays for Memphis-based AAU team M33M, “is blowing up at the right time. People who have seen the 6-foot-5 shooting guard are saying he is everything you want in a slasher on the wing,” according to Rivals.com’s Ryan Jones, who covered a Minneapolis-based tournament for the network this month.
Ole Miss has also offered Greensboro, Ala., power forward Jimmie Taylor. The 6-foot-9 rising junior has picked up offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgetown, N.C. State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and others. Taylor recently told Rivals.com’s Dan McDonald he may not commit until his senior season.
"I'm looking at a school's style of play, how good they will develop me, academics, and playing time when I make my decision,” Taylor said.
Finally, a few site notes. As we’ve noted, Chase is getting married on Aug. 6. I’ll have practice reports, photo galleries, features and notebooks throughout the first week, and Chase will be back in town in time for the first scrimmage (presumably Aug. 13) and the second week of camp. We’ll bring some video your way, but it’s going to be down the priority list, as we don’t have the equipment on hand to bring any context to the video. We feel that raw video, without the benefit of context, is really sloppy content, and we’d rather dedicate our resources elsewhere. Further, we’ll make camp coverage number one and recruiting number two for a couple of weeks when fall camp begins for a pair of reasons. First, with high school teams practicing, prospects are concentrating on their seasons and not their college choices. Secondly, the interest in August from the overwhelming majority of the site is on fall camp and not on recruiting. We’ll pick back up our recruiting coverage in earnest after the season begins on Aug. 19. Thanks in advance for your understanding and patience.
Chase Parham
Neal started with the commitment of 2013 running back Kailo Moore, and I’ll do the same. Of course he has tremendous ability and is an impact ball carrier, but his commitment is a great foundation for that recruiting class. Moore and South Panola stud Antonio Conner are the best two prospects in Mississippi for the 2013 class, thus Ole Miss has a lot going in its favor 18 months before that Signing Day. Conner is fond of LSU and will be recruiting by schools across the country, but South Panola is an Ole Miss pipeline, so the Rebels have to feel good about their chances with him. Moore’s speed is already being talked about, and like Rivals.com’s Keith Niebuhr said recently, Moore is someone other kids will want to play with. His reputation will be out there, and that will be a definite advantage for Ole Miss.
And you can’t talk about the 2013 class without mentioning Robert Nkemdiche. Likely the top recruit nationally, Nkemdiche’s brother, Denzel, is a freshman defensive back at Ole Miss and has already been quite vocal saying the brothers will play together. While I don’t take that talk real seriously at the moment, the Rebels have a definite in and are out ahead with Alabama and Georgia in this early race. If Denzel has early success, that’ll be an even bigger help for Ole Miss. These natural ties are one more reason this season is so important for the Rebels. Going into the 2013 recruiting year with some momentum would be huge considering all the circumstances with elite targets.
Now let’s talk about the current recruiting class. This time last year, early commitments were in style, as the majority of the Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen had picked a side -- although a couple of them ultimately signed with different schools. Right now, only four of the 12 selections have publicly committed to a college -- Isaac Gross and Temario Strong to Ole Miss, D'Arthur Cowan to Arkansas and Xavier Grindle to Mississippi State. That set up the majority of the Dandy Dozen telling reporters Wednesday they planned to play together at the next level. At different points, Jeremy Liggins, Quay Evans, Channing Ward, Richie Brown and Nick James all made reference to suiting up for the same school. My advice is to not spend a lot of time on this storyline right now. The overwhelming word is that James has a ton of work to do in order to qualify, and the others all have specific situations to deal with, so while joining forces is a nice thought and a good quote, it’s not the main recruiting factor for these guys. I do think Tobias Singleton and Nick Brassell wanted to play together in college, but the rest of the group joined them more by coincidence than some grand plan. The group signing happens occasionally, but it’s usually an indirect storyline. James and Brown are at the same high school, and Brown said publicly that the two together in college would be coincidence instead of a plan.
When asked about coaches Wednesday, Brown pointed out his fondness for Ole Miss’ Tyrone Nix and MSU’s Geoff Collins. Ole Miss has made the linebacker a priority, and most think it’ll eventually be an Ole Miss-LSU battle. State offered him early, so there is some loyalty built up there, however. Brown has told several different reporters that it’s incredibly important for a school to believe in him.
Ward listed a top five of Ole Miss, MSU, Auburn, Alabama and LSU (in no order) on Wednesday. It appears he plans to stay relatively close to home, and Ole Miss is very confident with its position for the Aberdeen, Miss., standout. It’ll be a challenge all the way to February, but the Rebels believe they are in extremely good shape for this point in the process and also think that stance has been more solidified in the past week or so. Ward says he’ll announce at the Under Armour All-American Game.
Ole Miss is somewhat lying in the weeds for Quay Evans, but I absolutely expect the Rebels to move up in his recruitment before February. Flip-flopping has become his reputation, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him settle that down and have more of a “normal” recruitment. Not saying the Rebels are going to snag him by any means, as MSU is his current leader, but there will be some drama before it’s over. He recently listed a top five of MSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn and USC. The first three are the ones to take the most seriously.
Everybody I talk to thinks Anthony Alford will sign a professional baseball contract.
Cordarrly Gaines will commit to MSU at some point -- probably somewhat soon.
On the subject of Ward, James, Liggins nor Evans attending Ole Miss’ camp: Of course it isn’t the best sign in the world, but I don’t see a reason for Rebel fans to go jumping off bridges either. Liggins and Ward have both been on campus multiple times recently and know the program well. It’s just one stop in a marathon year of recruiting. It’s a mild negative but nothing more. Evans’ absence could be read into a little more than Channing or Jeremy’s, as he’s failed to reach campus lately. No doubt Ole Miss has some ground to make up there, but as I said above, I expect it to get closer before February.
Running back I’Tavius Mathers, a Rivals250 member, was featured in this recent article in the Daily News Journal. As you read, Ole Miss made his top four, and the Rebels are very interested. He’s a big-back possibility to go with speedster Jaylen Walton.
“MURFREESBORO -- The top college football prospect in Rutherford County and perhaps all of Middle Tennessee has whittled down his college football choices to four schools.
Blackman rising senior I'Tavius Mathers, who rushed for a school-record 2,614 yards with 31 total touchdowns in 2010, has narrowed his choices to three SEC schools and one ACC school.
Mathers said his choices -- in no particular order -- are Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Virginia. He did not elaborate on which school was his current favorite or why.”
Mathers visited Ole Miss one day late last month or early this month but has been impossible to reach by phone. Nonetheless, the Rebels really like him, and the feeling appears to be somewhat mutual. He’s an example of why a hot start to the season is so important for Ole Miss.
Moving to baseball, I reported Thursday that Edmond, Okla., right-handed pitcher Ty Hensley won’t make his college choice on Saturday. Instead, the elite prospect will choose between Ole Miss, Arizona State and Texas on August 13 after the Under Armour All-American Game. Every source I trust believes Ole Miss has a slight lead and the Rebels would have been Hensley’s choice if he were still picking Saturday. Some Ole Miss people are worried about the next two weeks, but I don’t blame Ty at all. He’s being completely thorough and making sure. I’ll never blame a kid for that. If anything, too many players rush decisions and don’t think about everything all the way through. He’s one of those special guys to cover, and I’ll pull for him -- no matter where he ends up. Can’t help but hope the best for a family like that.
Ole Miss is also waiting on word from Baton Rouge pitcher Jake Waguespack. He played with Marucci Elite this summer and has visited Ole Miss and LSU the past two weeks. He has an offer from each and is expected to make a decision in the coming days. It seems that the more time that passes, the better for the Rebels. Waguespack is a late-bloomer that continues to get better and is a steal at this point in the process for whichever school gets him.
The Rebels are also trying to lock down a commitment from Waco, Texas, left-hander Sterling Wynn. TCU, Houston and Baylor are also contenders, and I’m not sure which way this one is headed. I’m just getting started with this story.
Jackson Academy pitcher Matt Denny, who had a great month with the Texas Sun Devils, is visiting MSU this weekend. He has yet to receive a major offer and seems like a prime walk-on candidate, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens if the Bulldogs make an offer during the weekend. His brother, Will, is a long snapper on the Ole Miss football team. I completely understand the lack of offers, but I also believe he’s the kind of guy that improves moving forward and wins some games at the college level.
Ole Miss is kicking the tires on Oxford infielder/outfielder Luke Gibbs. Luke is Jake Gibbs’ grandson and played well in a recent tournament in Missouri with Ole Miss in attendance to watch Wynn. I’m not sold on him as a scholarship player, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him on the roster next fall. Not a high-profile player, but there are things to like about his game. He hit eight home runs and 12 doubles for the Chargers this past season.
This post was edited on 7/29 8:33 AM by Chase Parham
This post was edited on 7/29 10:15 AM by Chase Parham
Ole Miss picked up a huge commitment from Rosedale, Miss., Class of 2013 running back Kailo Moore earlier this week, but the Rebels will likely get greedy at the position.
Tupelo, Miss., athlete Ashton Shumpert, who will likely play running back in college as well, camped at Ole Miss last weekend, hoping to show the Rebels he can be a power back “and not just a shaker.” Shumpert said he’s real interested in Ole Miss and Mississippi State and he raved about both programs last weekend. In fact, Shumpert didn’t express an interest in any other program. He said he will watch both the Rebels and the Bulldogs quite a bit this fall, primarily focusing on how the two schools’ offenses use their running backs.
Memphis, Tenn., running back Jordan Wilkins also saw his stock rise in Oxford. Wilkins picked up an Ole Miss offer Saturday, and the Rebels moved ahead of Tennessee and others in the race for his February 2013 signature.
“I like it,” Wilkins said. “It’s a great program. I like all the coaches, especially the running backs coach (Derrick Nix). I want to play close to home and get early playing time. Ole Miss is probably the one. It’s close to home and they have running backs leaving. I could have quick playing time coming here.”
Wilkins said he’ll make a decision sometime next summer.
The Rebels will also be looking for quarterbacks in the 2013 class. C.J. Beathard is already a commitment for 2012, and Oxford native Jeremy Liggins is a target (though it’s debatable whether he can play quarterback at the college level at his current size), but going forward, Ole Miss will likely look to sign one quarterback in each class.
Salt Lake City, Utah native Cooper Bateman is an early candidate for that spot. Bateman camped at Ole Miss last weekend and was clearly blown away by the passion for college football that is so prevalent in the Southeast.
“It’s definitely different down here than it is in Utah,” Bateman said. “Kids down here, you can tell, are athletes. They are different kids than I’m used to, and that’s not a bad thing. I love it down here. You can tell it’s a college town. The people down here and the hospitality from the people, it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I love it.”
Bateman said he’s also hearing from California, Arizona State and Vanderbilt. Brigham Young, Utah, Utah State and Maryland have already offered, but Bateman is in no hurry to make a decision.
Goshen, Ala., running back Reginald Foster camped at Ole Miss last weekend, hoping he can earn a scholarship offer. He’s a guy to keep an eye on this fall, as the Rebels look for another running back to go along with commitment Jaylen Walton. It was Foster’s grandmother’s dying wish that he go to Ole Miss to play college football. Mary Foster died last year, Reginald Foster said. If her grandson, who rushed for 1,628 yards last season, is offered by Ole Miss, he’ll jump at it.
Mayfield, Ky., linebacker Jonathan Jackson, who will likely be a top 2013 target, camped at Ole Miss last weekend as well. The Rebels appear close to offering Jackson, as are Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska and Oregon. Jackson is considered a strong tackler, and though he doubles as a tailback in high school, he said he will almost certainly play defense at the college level. Jackson said Ole Miss “will be in the mix, for sure.”
With tight end Austin Ray committing to Ole Miss Wednesday, the Rebels will likely take just one more tight end in the 2012 class. At one point, I thought Columbus, Miss., native Lawrence Brown would be that guy. After talking to him after Saturday’s camp, I no longer have that feeling. Brown said Ole Miss told him they’ll be watching this fall, and “they’re up there, along with some other schools I’m looking at. They’re definitely a school I’m considering.” Maybe I mis-read him, but his eyes seemed to tell a different story.
It’s also worth noting that the Rebels seemed awfully impressed with Brownsboro, Texas, tight end Nick Jones. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder has just two offers (from Louisiana-Monroe and Northwestern State), but he looked like a prospect whose stock was on the rise. The same could likely be said for Forth Worth, Texas, tight end Walker Ryan. It appeared Jones was more of a camp standout than Ryan, but it’s clear the Rebels are looking for big, physical tight ends with enough athleticism to help in the passing game. Ole Miss will continue evaluating both prospects. That’s been a bit of a recurring theme this week.
For example, Ole Miss has elected not to extend formal offers to the Ruston, La., duo of cornerback Kentrell Brice and safety Cyril Noland. Instead, the Rebels intend to keep tabs on both players. Brice is committed to Missouri, but his recent trip to the Columbia, Mo., campus didn’t blow him away and the distance from Missouri to his home in north central Louisiana could be a factor. Noland absolutely loved Ole Miss and would likely commit with an offer. However, the Rebels have players ahead of him on their wish list at safety, namely Florida four-star Jordan Diggs. Personally, while I think Diggs likes Ole Miss and safeties coach/recruiting coordinator Chris Vaughn, I think the Rebels’ chances at landing Diggs and his high school teammate, cornerback Tyreece Jiles, are not strong.
Speaking of cornerback, it is our informed belief that Ole Miss is on the cusp of a commitment from cornerback Ray Buchanan, Jr.. Buchanan would only say he’s “thinking about coming up there again for an official visit,” adding that Ole Miss, Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland and Purdue are on top of his list, in “no order.” However, multiple sources indicate Ole Miss and Arkansas are far and away Buchanan’s top choices, and Ole Miss’ need for cornerbacks and the proximity of Oxford to Atlanta as opposed to Fayetteville to Atlanta has the Rebels way out ahead. I won’t be at all surprised to see some sort of commitment from Buchanan to an SEC West school sometime soon. My bet would be Ole Miss.
Earlier this week, we wrote a story detailing Ole Miss’ offering of Fruit Cove, Fla., wide receiver Bobby Walker. Walker was giddy about his first SEC offer on Tuesday night. He emailed me Thursday, letting me know he and his family are making the trip to Oxford on Sunday for an unofficial visit with the Rebels on Monday.
A football note: With Aaron Garbutt qualifying academically, it appears all of Ole Miss’ 2011 signees are ready to go when newcomers report Thursday. The word around the program is this class has had an incredibly impressive summer. Several players, according to those insiders, are expected to contribute immediately. The expectations around that group appear to be very high.
Some quick hoops notes: Program insiders are absolutely thrilled with the progress being made by the newcomers this summer. Jarvis Summers is having the kind of summer that could lead to him being the Rebels’ starting point guard when the season begins, especially if Dundrecous Nelson opens the season at shooting guard while the Rebels wait for Jalen Kendrick to become eligible at the conclusion of the fall semester. Guard Maurice Aniefiok has been battling ankle injuries, though there is a belief inside the program that the Nigeria native might be the best athlete in the program. Finally, there’s nothing but confidence in Ole Miss-turned-South Carolina-turned-back-to-Ole Miss forward Murphy Holloway’s appeal to the NCAA for a waiver from the governing body’s transfer rule.
Additionally, Andy Kennedy and Co., have been on the road all month searching for future players. As we referenced earlier this week, Ole Miss is believed to be in very good shape for Memphis guard Martavious Newby. Additionally, the Rebels have scouted Lawrenceville, Ga., forward Anthony Morse. College Park, Ga., small forward Marcus Hunt is also a top priority, though there appears to be plenty of competition for his signature. Ole Miss has also offered Marietta, Ga., shooting guard Justin Seymour. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Seymour has seen his stock begin to jump on the summer circuit. Before Ole Miss offered, Seymour had offers from Charlotte, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Tennessee Tech, UTEP, VCU, Wichita State and Wofford. Ole Miss is also believed to be kicking the proverbial tires on Thomasville, Ga., forward Willie Clayton, though Clayton’s stock has leveled out a bit this summer.
Ole Miss has offered rising junior Treshawn Bolden. The Jackson, Miss., native, according to Rivals.com hoops analyst Eric Bossi “is a tough, physical and streamlined athlete who scores opportunistically on put-backs and slams. Every team needs a guy to do some dirty work and he seems happy to do so.”
Ole Miss, Auburn, Memphis and Vanderbilt have offered rising junior shooting guard Robert Hubbs. Hubbs, a Newbern, Tenn., product who plays for Memphis-based AAU team M33M, “is blowing up at the right time. People who have seen the 6-foot-5 shooting guard are saying he is everything you want in a slasher on the wing,” according to Rivals.com’s Ryan Jones, who covered a Minneapolis-based tournament for the network this month.
Ole Miss has also offered Greensboro, Ala., power forward Jimmie Taylor. The 6-foot-9 rising junior has picked up offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgetown, N.C. State, Ole Miss, Georgia, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and others. Taylor recently told Rivals.com’s Dan McDonald he may not commit until his senior season.
"I'm looking at a school's style of play, how good they will develop me, academics, and playing time when I make my decision,” Taylor said.
Finally, a few site notes. As we’ve noted, Chase is getting married on Aug. 6. I’ll have practice reports, photo galleries, features and notebooks throughout the first week, and Chase will be back in town in time for the first scrimmage (presumably Aug. 13) and the second week of camp. We’ll bring some video your way, but it’s going to be down the priority list, as we don’t have the equipment on hand to bring any context to the video. We feel that raw video, without the benefit of context, is really sloppy content, and we’d rather dedicate our resources elsewhere. Further, we’ll make camp coverage number one and recruiting number two for a couple of weeks when fall camp begins for a pair of reasons. First, with high school teams practicing, prospects are concentrating on their seasons and not their college choices. Secondly, the interest in August from the overwhelming majority of the site is on fall camp and not on recruiting. We’ll pick back up our recruiting coverage in earnest after the season begins on Aug. 19. Thanks in advance for your understanding and patience.
Chase Parham
Neal started with the commitment of 2013 running back Kailo Moore, and I’ll do the same. Of course he has tremendous ability and is an impact ball carrier, but his commitment is a great foundation for that recruiting class. Moore and South Panola stud Antonio Conner are the best two prospects in Mississippi for the 2013 class, thus Ole Miss has a lot going in its favor 18 months before that Signing Day. Conner is fond of LSU and will be recruiting by schools across the country, but South Panola is an Ole Miss pipeline, so the Rebels have to feel good about their chances with him. Moore’s speed is already being talked about, and like Rivals.com’s Keith Niebuhr said recently, Moore is someone other kids will want to play with. His reputation will be out there, and that will be a definite advantage for Ole Miss.
And you can’t talk about the 2013 class without mentioning Robert Nkemdiche. Likely the top recruit nationally, Nkemdiche’s brother, Denzel, is a freshman defensive back at Ole Miss and has already been quite vocal saying the brothers will play together. While I don’t take that talk real seriously at the moment, the Rebels have a definite in and are out ahead with Alabama and Georgia in this early race. If Denzel has early success, that’ll be an even bigger help for Ole Miss. These natural ties are one more reason this season is so important for the Rebels. Going into the 2013 recruiting year with some momentum would be huge considering all the circumstances with elite targets.
Now let’s talk about the current recruiting class. This time last year, early commitments were in style, as the majority of the Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen had picked a side -- although a couple of them ultimately signed with different schools. Right now, only four of the 12 selections have publicly committed to a college -- Isaac Gross and Temario Strong to Ole Miss, D'Arthur Cowan to Arkansas and Xavier Grindle to Mississippi State. That set up the majority of the Dandy Dozen telling reporters Wednesday they planned to play together at the next level. At different points, Jeremy Liggins, Quay Evans, Channing Ward, Richie Brown and Nick James all made reference to suiting up for the same school. My advice is to not spend a lot of time on this storyline right now. The overwhelming word is that James has a ton of work to do in order to qualify, and the others all have specific situations to deal with, so while joining forces is a nice thought and a good quote, it’s not the main recruiting factor for these guys. I do think Tobias Singleton and Nick Brassell wanted to play together in college, but the rest of the group joined them more by coincidence than some grand plan. The group signing happens occasionally, but it’s usually an indirect storyline. James and Brown are at the same high school, and Brown said publicly that the two together in college would be coincidence instead of a plan.
When asked about coaches Wednesday, Brown pointed out his fondness for Ole Miss’ Tyrone Nix and MSU’s Geoff Collins. Ole Miss has made the linebacker a priority, and most think it’ll eventually be an Ole Miss-LSU battle. State offered him early, so there is some loyalty built up there, however. Brown has told several different reporters that it’s incredibly important for a school to believe in him.
Ward listed a top five of Ole Miss, MSU, Auburn, Alabama and LSU (in no order) on Wednesday. It appears he plans to stay relatively close to home, and Ole Miss is very confident with its position for the Aberdeen, Miss., standout. It’ll be a challenge all the way to February, but the Rebels believe they are in extremely good shape for this point in the process and also think that stance has been more solidified in the past week or so. Ward says he’ll announce at the Under Armour All-American Game.
Ole Miss is somewhat lying in the weeds for Quay Evans, but I absolutely expect the Rebels to move up in his recruitment before February. Flip-flopping has become his reputation, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him settle that down and have more of a “normal” recruitment. Not saying the Rebels are going to snag him by any means, as MSU is his current leader, but there will be some drama before it’s over. He recently listed a top five of MSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn and USC. The first three are the ones to take the most seriously.
Everybody I talk to thinks Anthony Alford will sign a professional baseball contract.
Cordarrly Gaines will commit to MSU at some point -- probably somewhat soon.
On the subject of Ward, James, Liggins nor Evans attending Ole Miss’ camp: Of course it isn’t the best sign in the world, but I don’t see a reason for Rebel fans to go jumping off bridges either. Liggins and Ward have both been on campus multiple times recently and know the program well. It’s just one stop in a marathon year of recruiting. It’s a mild negative but nothing more. Evans’ absence could be read into a little more than Channing or Jeremy’s, as he’s failed to reach campus lately. No doubt Ole Miss has some ground to make up there, but as I said above, I expect it to get closer before February.
Running back I’Tavius Mathers, a Rivals250 member, was featured in this recent article in the Daily News Journal. As you read, Ole Miss made his top four, and the Rebels are very interested. He’s a big-back possibility to go with speedster Jaylen Walton.
“MURFREESBORO -- The top college football prospect in Rutherford County and perhaps all of Middle Tennessee has whittled down his college football choices to four schools.
Blackman rising senior I'Tavius Mathers, who rushed for a school-record 2,614 yards with 31 total touchdowns in 2010, has narrowed his choices to three SEC schools and one ACC school.
Mathers said his choices -- in no particular order -- are Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Virginia. He did not elaborate on which school was his current favorite or why.”
Mathers visited Ole Miss one day late last month or early this month but has been impossible to reach by phone. Nonetheless, the Rebels really like him, and the feeling appears to be somewhat mutual. He’s an example of why a hot start to the season is so important for Ole Miss.
Moving to baseball, I reported Thursday that Edmond, Okla., right-handed pitcher Ty Hensley won’t make his college choice on Saturday. Instead, the elite prospect will choose between Ole Miss, Arizona State and Texas on August 13 after the Under Armour All-American Game. Every source I trust believes Ole Miss has a slight lead and the Rebels would have been Hensley’s choice if he were still picking Saturday. Some Ole Miss people are worried about the next two weeks, but I don’t blame Ty at all. He’s being completely thorough and making sure. I’ll never blame a kid for that. If anything, too many players rush decisions and don’t think about everything all the way through. He’s one of those special guys to cover, and I’ll pull for him -- no matter where he ends up. Can’t help but hope the best for a family like that.
Ole Miss is also waiting on word from Baton Rouge pitcher Jake Waguespack. He played with Marucci Elite this summer and has visited Ole Miss and LSU the past two weeks. He has an offer from each and is expected to make a decision in the coming days. It seems that the more time that passes, the better for the Rebels. Waguespack is a late-bloomer that continues to get better and is a steal at this point in the process for whichever school gets him.
The Rebels are also trying to lock down a commitment from Waco, Texas, left-hander Sterling Wynn. TCU, Houston and Baylor are also contenders, and I’m not sure which way this one is headed. I’m just getting started with this story.
Jackson Academy pitcher Matt Denny, who had a great month with the Texas Sun Devils, is visiting MSU this weekend. He has yet to receive a major offer and seems like a prime walk-on candidate, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens if the Bulldogs make an offer during the weekend. His brother, Will, is a long snapper on the Ole Miss football team. I completely understand the lack of offers, but I also believe he’s the kind of guy that improves moving forward and wins some games at the college level.
Ole Miss is kicking the tires on Oxford infielder/outfielder Luke Gibbs. Luke is Jake Gibbs’ grandson and played well in a recent tournament in Missouri with Ole Miss in attendance to watch Wynn. I’m not sold on him as a scholarship player, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him on the roster next fall. Not a high-profile player, but there are things to like about his game. He hit eight home runs and 12 doubles for the Chargers this past season.
This post was edited on 7/29 8:33 AM by Chase Parham
This post was edited on 7/29 10:15 AM by Chase Parham
