Ole Miss has gotten off to a hot start in the 2016 recruiting cycle. Thus far, Hugh Freeze’s staff has secured pledges from 18 players, including one five-star and seven four-stars according to the 247 Composite, good for sixth in the 247 class rankings. After graduations, possible transfers or dismissals, and early draft declarations, the team should be able to sign 30 or more players in this class, leaving a lot of room as we approach six months until National Signing Day.
Nov 29, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels fans celebrate from the stands during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
For this week’s Tuesday Top Ten, we have ranked the 10 players whose recruitments Rebel fans will want to pay attention. This list obviously doesn’t include everyone as it is highly, highly unlikely Ole Miss will sign all 10 of these players nor is it indicative of the highest-regarded players or only players being recruited by the coaches. This is merely a collection of 10 players that are all thought of very highly and have legitimate interest in attending Ole Miss beginning in the summer of 2016.
10. Donte Vaughn
Cornerback (Memphis, Tennessee)
Vaughn is one of the more sought after cornerbacks in the country, and for good reason. He possesses truly elite size at 6’3 and 192 Lbs., is an above-average athlete with plus-speed and jumping ability, and comes from a respected Whitehaven program. It appears to be a three-team race between Tennessee, Notre Dame and Ole Miss with both the Vols and Irish feeling confident. Don’t discount the hometown team just an hour down the road as the Rebel coaching staff has “ins” with the Vaughn family.
9. Drake Davis
Wide Receiver (Bradenton, Florida)
Davis is a recent transfer to the IMG Academy in Florida where he’ll be catching passes from five-star quarterback and Ole Miss commit, Shea Patterson. He’s being heavily pursued by LSU and Florida State, boasting offers from other top programs like Alabama, Miami and Virginia Tech. In late May, Davis named the Rebels his leader and the odds are in their favor, especially now that Patterson will be in his ear. It will be a fight to the end, but Ole Miss is in good shape with the 6’4 target.
8. Dontavious Jackson
Middle Linebacker (Houston, Texas)
Late last week, Jackson released a top 12 of his favorite schools in no particular order: Alabama, Miami, Notre Dame, Florida State, LSU, TCU, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas, Fresno State, Michigan and Ole Miss. Right now, the favorite is the instate Longhorns with a lot of muddy water after that. He is undoubtedly the most marquee linebacker the Rebels are in on, and it is not secret that linebacker is a position of need. After this year, they will lose C.J. Johnson, Denzel Nkemdiche and Christian Russell.
7. Nigel Knott
Cornerback (Madison, Mississippi)
An Ole Miss legacy, Knott is as far away from a lock as it gets for an instate prospect whose dad was on the football team. Rumors have spread that Oregon is his dream school while Florida State leads for him. Alabama is also heavily on him as his stock continues to rise. Ole Miss wants Knott in the worst way and he will be a definite loss if he chooses to go elsewhere. There’s little doubt they’ll at least get an official visit from him where the coaches will be in his ear about playing for his home state at the family’s college.
6. Willie Allen
Offensive Tackle (New Orleans, Louisiana)
The early word on Allen was an LSU-Alabama fight with Ole Miss in a distant third. Now, word is that Alabama is all-in on Greg Little while LSU has cooled a little bit on the big guy, whom they view as a project. That doesn’t necessarily let ESPN’s No. 4 overall player just fall into the Rebels’ laps, however, as Auburn as emerged into the picture. Ole Miss would love to add Allen but if Ole Miss can land Little, it will likely be a Tide-Auburn fight to the end. If Little picks Alabama or elsewhere, Allen would fit in nicely as the left tackle of the future in Oxford.
5. Jeffrey Simmons
Defensive End (Macon, Mississippi)
While Knott is the Composite top player in the state, Simmons is viewed by some as the top Mississippi player this year. Both state schools along with Alabama and LSU have pulled the offer trigger and it is only conjecture at this point where he will head. Fans on both the Ole Miss and Mississippi State sides have been cautiously optimistic while the Tide lurk as a dark horse. This could very likely go all the way to National Signing Day before a decision is made with the Rebels thought to be squarely in the thick of it.
Nov 22, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas defeated Mississippi 30-0. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
4. Devin White
Athlete (Springhill, Louisiana)
Ole Miss’s two biggest recruiting misses of the Freeze era have been linebackers, where they always seem to finish with the silver medal, and running back, where transfers and position changes have been frequent. White, as if a gift from above, is an electrifying prospect at both positions. He has expressed his desire to play running back, a position that Ole Miss now has four of on their commitment list, but White is too good to pass up regardless of his position. Unfortunately for the red and blue, he also has strong interest in LSU, Alabama and Arkansas with the Tigers believed to be the inevitable destination.
3. Deontay Anderson
Safety (Manvel, Texas)
Out of all the players on this list, Anderson has the highest chance of signing with the Rebels come February. The No. 3 safety in the country according to the Composite, Anderson has offers from all the top programs in America. While the usual SEC West suspects show up on his interest card, there is a nearing consensus that he will pick Ole Miss. The knocking on the door only got louder when his teammate, running back D’Vaughn Pennamon, committed to the red and blue last week. Things can change on a dime in recruiting but as of now, things look good for Anderson to be playing his college ball at Vaught-Hemingway in 2016.
2. Rashan Gary
Defensive Tackle (Paramus, New Jersey)
If there’s one thing everybody knows about Gary, it’s that his mother will play a large part in his decision. If there’s one thing that nobody knows about the top overall player in the country, it’s where he’s leaning. This summer the New Jersey native has made his rounds up and down the east coast, including a stop in Lafayette County, Mississippi. There has been talk in Oxford that his mother and defensive line coach Chris Kiffin got along well and that Ole Miss is selling Gary the same way they sold 2013 top prospect Robert Nkemdiche: come here and you’ll have every chance to start as a true freshman, play three years of good ball and you’ll be drafted highly. What better way for Nkemdiche to leave Ole Miss than with his heir apparent ready to take the reins.
1. Greg Little
Offensive Tackle (Allen, Texas)
Speaking of taking the reins for a top of the line player, Ole Miss would love to replace left tackle Laremy Tunsil with Little in 2016. Little is every bit as college-ready as Tunsil was in 2013 and the No. 2 prospect has serious interest in filling in for the soon-to-be top five pick Tunsil. He has been to Oxford already, plans to be back, reportedly has family in Memphis and has a teammate, Jaylon Jones, who committed to Ole Miss on Tuesday morning. Alabama will be tough to fight off but the Rebels have a critical selling point the Tide do not: Alabama’s left tackle Cam Robinson will be a junior when Little is a freshman, sending the star recruit to the right side for the first year of his collegiate career. Ole Miss, on the other hand, will have a big empty spot on the depth chart reserved for the Lonestar native.