What to know about Ole Miss national signing day
OXFORD — Both on the field and in the recruiting rankings, Ole Miss seemed to put everything together at the end of this year.
On the field, Ole Miss is riding a three-game winning streak into its final game. Off the field, Ole Miss has climbed into the top 20 in the 247 Sports composite team recruiting rankings on the back of nine commitments since the start of December. Included in that group are two four-star prospects, two flips from Mississippi State and two players who once decommitted from Ole Miss but are now back in the fold.
But late success isn’t the only thing that will define this class, which can begin signing national letters of intent on Wednesday. More than anything, this class is an insight into what types of players Kiffin is looking for and what areas Ole Miss most desperately needs to rebuild.
Here’s what to know about this Ole Miss recruiting class.
It’s time to rebuild the defense
Of the 20 players who are committed to Ole Miss before the early signing period, 11 are either defensive backs or defensive linemen. The Rebels have three defensive tackles, two defensive ends, three safeties, two cornerbacks and an athlete who has been recruited as a defensive back all committed in this class.
Anyone who’s watched any Ole Miss football this year understands that defensive depth is a problem. Here come the reinforcements, and in some cases, potential starter replacements. Fourstar safeties Tysheem Johnson and Dink Jackson are highlights of the class, and three-star, junior college defensive tackles Jamond Gordon and Isaiah Iton should be expected to play early because of their age and experience.
Beyond the commits, there are highprofile prospects who might join the fold too. Four-star defensive tackle Tywone Malone won’t be deciding his college fate until February, but he’s a top-100 prospect considered to be a potential Ole Miss lean. Four-star inside linebacker Trevin Wallace is another player who Ole Miss might be able to snag given his recent Ole Miss offer and decommitment from Boston College.
Four-star cornerback Markevious Brown from IMG Academy in Florida is another highly-rated secondary prospect to watch out for, and he will be making his college decision on Wednesday.
The offensive line is deep
Last offseason, Ole Miss signed offensive tackles who were 6-foot-7, 6-6, 6-6 and 6-5. This year, Ole Miss has four more offensive line commits, ranging in height from 6-4 to 6-8.
Obviously Lane Kiffin and his staff have set out to replenish the trenches. Eight offensive linemen in two years is a lot, but when seven of those eight offensive linemen are 6-5 or taller, Kiffin and his staff definitely have a type.
Additionally, Ole Miss’ three defensive tackle commits are listed at 280 pounds, 295 pounds and 300 pounds.
The offense is being recognized
Led by quarterback Matt Corral and receiver Elijah Moore, Ole Miss has had one of the best and most electric offenses in college football in 2020. This Ole Miss class isn’t particularly heavy on skill position players, but it is front loaded with skill guys who reflect what the Rebels are doing this year.
The three highest-rated players in the clas,s according to the 247 Sports composite rankings, are wide receiver Bralon Brown, quarterback Luke Altmyer and tight end Hudson Wolfe. Brown has been committed to Ole Miss since April, but Altmyer and Wolfe flipped from long-time commitments to Florida State and Tennessee this month to join the Rebels’ class.
The trademark of a Kiffin team will always be a high-octane offense. Snatching players like Altmyer and Wolfe away not only shows Kiffin’s recruiting cache, but also the allure of playing in an offense that puts up huge yardage and point totals.
The class might not fill up
Last season, Ole Miss deliberately undersigned prospects to leave wiggle room for graduate transfers and transfer portal acquisitions. This year, Kiffin isn’t being as deliberate with his hard cap of players to sign.
“If we’ve got really good players who want to come, do we save for free agency or do we cap out and take really good players?” Kiffin said. “We obviously still don’t know on a few guys. We won’t know until Wednesday for sure. So it’s not an exact number for sure. We can get all these guys we want and cap out, or we can reach and then go get some free agents.”
This year’s class will be interesting because of the potential in flux of seniors into the transfer portal. All seniors across the NCAA are being given an extra year of eligibility, so there will be a bigger number of graduate transfers than ever before with players seeking to play their final college seasons elsewhere.
So if Ole Miss doesn’t sign a big number of surprise prospects Wednesday, there will always be the opportunity to use those missed opportunities to add veterans in the future.