Top 20 Ole Miss Targets: #1 Robert Nkemdiche
(Bleacher Report)
Robert Nkemdiche
Defensive End
Grayson High School
Loganville, Ga.
6’5 250 Lbs. (per Rivals.com)
Rivals: 5 star #1 overall player in the country
Scout: 5 star #1 overall player in the country
ESPN: 5 star #1 overall player in the country
Robert was among those who stormed the field after the Egg Bowl victory. (Sbnation)
Other notable offers: Clemson (former commit), Alabama, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Oregon, South Carolina, USC
2013 depth at defensive end: Kameron Wood (So.), Channing Ward (So.), CJ Johnson (Jr.), Carlos Thompson (Jr.), Cameron Whigham (Sr.)
Scouting report: He simply has everything you could ask for in a defensive end. Nkemdiche is so quick off the line of scrimmage and the best way to describe his way of getting into the backfield is violent. He uses his strength and his long arms to not only get by defenders, but to throw them aside. His pursuit of the ballcarrier is relentless, just like his brother, and he has terrific closing speed to get there. His run defense is incredible, he recognizes who has the football well and keeps his feet balanced for optimal lateral quickness. He could realistically be an outside linebacker with his quickness, but he is so disruptive at end that there is no reason to move him unless you have to. He has good anticipation, he’s strong, he pursues well, and he does not get caught out of position. He is undoubtedly the best player in the country.
Likelihood of signing with Ole Miss: There is nothing that I can tell you about this kid’s recruitment that you don’t already know. His brother is a star linebacker for Ole Miss, and family is very important to the Nkemdiche family. His entire family wants him to go to Ole Miss, he is frequently seen in Ole Miss gear, and he attended the vast majority of Rebel games this year. The question of why hasn’t he committed yet is a simple one.
We have all been teenagers at one point, and if your mom told everyone what you were going to do, your big brother told everyone what you were going to do, and the whole world thinks that they know what you are going to do, then you likely don’t want to give in right away. My guess is that other recruits know what he is going to do and he has talked to them, but announcing this to the world is not right for him yet. He’s a teenager, he does not want people making decisions for him, but he is also very mature. He does not want to upset his family, he wants to play alongside his brother, and he wants to be the most storied recruit in a program’s history, something only Ole Miss can offer him out of his top schools. His mom will have to be in the country for him to commit, she will be in town for the Under Armor All American game next week too.
He is taking in the recruitment of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and LSU, because why not? Those are some of the top football schools and you typically only get recruited once. Seeing him sign with the Crimson Tide would shock me, but I would not be brought to my knees in shock. I think that if his brother was not in the picture, he would probably end up with Saban. The pulls at his heartstrings do appear to be too much for him to go elsewhere, and as Rebel fans, let’s hope so, Ole Miss at 90 percent
Full rankings:
1. Robert Nkemdiche
2. Laquon Treadwell
3. Carl Lawson
4. Laremy Tunsil
5. Antonio Conner
6. Derrick Green
7. Stacy Coley
8. Elijah Daniel
9. Shaq Wiggins
10. Montravius Adams
11. Ebenezer Ogundeko
12. Ashton Shumpert
13. Jason Carr
14. Mitchell Parsons
15. Kailo Moore
16. Corn Elder
17. Christian Morris
18. Lavon Hooks
19. Dan Skipper
20. Duke Riley