Top 20 Ole Miss Targets Recap
November 17, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA Ole Miss Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze during warm ups prior to kickoff of a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Ole Miss 41-35. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
After two long weeks of research, deliberation, and delayed family time, my countdown of the top Ole Miss recruiting targets has come to a close.
I have gotten a lot of questions as to the rankings of the prospects, with some wanting Montravius Adams higher and some wanting Shaq Wiggins lower to name a few. I comprised the rankings on the overall talent of the prospect along with the possibility of them coming here. It all evens out. For instance, Dan Skipper (19) has a much better likelihood of coming to Ole Miss than Laremy Tunsil (4) does, but Tunsil still has Ole Miss on his board and is a more coveted prospect so he garners the higher ranking. Elijah Daniel (8) is not as heralded as a prospect as Adams (10) is, but Daniel has a much better chance of coming to Ole Miss, so he is higher. It is basically a mock case of who I would spend the most time on if I were an Ole Miss recruiter.
The scouting reports were relatively easy to fill out as there is tons of highlight and full game tapes out there. The likelihood of the prospect coming to Ole Miss was more challenging as I am trying to collect all the data and reasoning I can to predict where a 17-year-old is going to college. Particularly in the cases of Stacy Coley and Ashton Shumpert who are rarely heard from.
This final list is my prognostication of where the 20 recruits will end up. The percentages that I put in the articles has fluctuated as time as gone on and so these could differ from those you saw in the articles. Lavon Hooks is pretty easy, then becomes understandably debatable going forward.
1. Robert Nkemdiche OLE MISS
-This seems to be a foregone conclusion and even the most deranged of Alabama and LSU fans know in their hearts that he appears bound for Oxford.
2. Carl Lawson CLEMSON
-This could very well be Ole Miss here, but Clemson has a great track record with defensive linemen, they’ve pursued hard since Nkemdiche’s decommitment, it is very close to home, and kids seem to love Dabo. That’s a lot to overcome.
3. Laquon Treadwell OLE MISS
-Both Oklahoma schools are making a strong run for him, but I think that his mom loved Ole Miss too much and the fit for both sides is too perfect for him to go elsewhere.
4. Laremy Tunsil GEORGIA
-He’s been described by his friends as a Georgia fan and he has said that he is closest with the UGA staff, done deal.
5. Antonio Conner OLE MISS
-Not many South Panola kids stray from Oxford and he has been a fixture on the Ole Miss campus for years. From all that I have heard, if he qualifies, he’s a Rebel.
6. Derrick Green MICHIGAN
-Michigan is out front of everyone and the top two competitors to him fired their head coaches, only other team with a realistic shot is Miami. He should be maize and blue.
7. Stacy Coley FLORIDA STATE
-He’s believed to be Ole Miss, FSU, or Miami with the in-state schools in the lead. A Treadwell commitment may sway him to Oxford, but for now I believe he will end up a Nole, where he has the best coach relations.
8. Elijah Daniel OLE MISS
-Daniel is another prospect who needs to get his scores up and while I think he wants to be a Gator, I think he will only have shots at Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Yancy Porter reported that Ole Miss leads, and that should hold.
9. Shaq Wiggins FLORIDA
-He has been committed to Georgia since February, but with so many new DB commits for the Dawgs, there will have to be some trimming. Wiggins is not Grantham’s prototypical guy and they have not spoken much lately, opening the doors to his recruitment. He has described one Florida coach as “like a brother”, but they might not have a spot for him. If they do, I’d say he’s a Gator, if not, he would likely be a Rebel.
10. Montravius Adams GEORGIA
-Clemson and Auburn are also in play for Adams, but all signs point to the Classic City.
11. Ebenezer Ogundeko CLEMSON
-He is reportedly between Syracuse, Florida, and Clemson, and Florida is running out of defensive front seven spots, I think he goes with the Tigers.
12. Ashton Shumpert OLE MISS
-This is a tossup between Ole Miss and State at this point, but all of the grumbling has been about his fondness for other Rebel recruits, so this one will go in the good guys’ favor in my book.
13. Jason Carr ALABAMA
-Many believe that he will end up a Rebel, but if Daniel, Nkemdiche, and possibly Lawson commit, Oxford might not seem like his fit anymore. His coach says that he loves what Alabama does on defense, and I see the Tide flipping the current Vol.
14. Mitchell Parsons OLE MISS
-The only holdup to Parsons already being a part of the class is Freeze withholding a scholarship. Between the recent decommitments and the pressing need at tight end, Parsons will likely get one and sign it.
15. Kailo Moore OLE MISS
-He was committed to the Rebs, then committed to the Bulldogs, now he says that the Rebels lead for him. A lot of backs have already committed, but he looks bound for Oxford.
16. Corn Elder OHIO STATE
-It looks like it is between UCLA and OSU for the two-sport star. He likes what Meyer does on offense a lot and it looks like he’ll be a Buckeye.
17. Christian Morris UCLA
-He has been UCLA all the way and if distance does not come further to the front of his mind, he won’t consider another school.
18. Lavon Hooks OLE MISS
-He has already signed.
19. Dan Skipper OHIO STATE
-It is between Tennessee, Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Arkansas, with all four in play. The recent scholarship from Ohio State has grabbed his attention and I think the Meyer-allure is too strong.
20. Duke Riley OLE MISS
-LSU reportedly offered, but it turned out to be an offer for a grayshirt. He said all the right things about it, but it definitely irked him a bit. Minnesota and nearby Tulane are also in the mix, but a landshark celebration in the state title game? C’mon.
That’s all I have for the countdown, but you can bet that I will be updating the Ole Miss recruiting efforts throughout January with a signing class recap to come just after signing day. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to voice any more pleasures or displeasures you have with the rankings on Twitter @olemisslately.