With National Signing Day under two weeks away for Ole Miss football it’s time for some 2018 National Signing Day predictions from OHT.
Ole Miss football recruiting has done much better than ever expected by many of the recruiting experts and even fans. Coach Matt Luke pulled out all the stops with the early signing period and we saw the 2018 recruiting class jump in the national rankings. The Rebels saw 14 players sign letters of intent to the University of Mississippi.
Of course there is still more to come from Luke and Company and the next two weeks will be interesting. There are still a large number of top-level official visits left in this recruiting season. Some of the best high school players in the nation will find their way to Oxford and experience Ole Miss for themselves.
Of course, some of these players have committed to other schools at this point and are simply taking their visits. However, the large portion of these recruits remain uncommitted. There are a number of targets which Ole Miss has coming in who are ranked within the Top10 on some list. Naturally, there is still a lot of time for guess-work on just how well this class may turn out. It also leaves us with room for a few predictions.
Expect More Flips
Ole Miss Rebels Football
Ole Miss football recruiting was full of surprises leading into the early signing period. Just prior coach Matt Luke and staff worked hard to get a flip from one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.
With the top-tier talent which Ole Miss has had and will have on campus over the next two weeks we can expect another major flip from Matt Luke and staff. The hard part is getting them on campus. The easy part is selling the Ole Miss program to prospective future Rebels.
So who are some possible flips which remain on visits? Slotted for an official this weekend is Harold Joiner. Joiner is a 6’3″ 218 lb 4-star RB out of Mountain Brook, Alabama. Joiner recently committed to Auburn. Also scheduled as a visit this weekend is Tylan Knight of Pearl. Knight is a 5’7″ 170 lb CB who just committed to Louisiana-Lafayette this week. Knight was the Mississippi Class 6A Player of the Year in 2017.
Nigel Brannon of Oklahoma City was on campus last weekend. Brannon is a 6’5″ 333 lb OT and is committed to Memphis. Also visiting last weekend was Richard Gouraige of Tampa, Florida. Gouraige is a 6’5″ 271 lb 4-star OT and is committed to Florida. Any of these would be big for Ole Miss football recruiting.
Prediction: Matt Luke and staff close out the recruiting class by flipping at least one more player.
Things Are Bigger In Texas
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When it comes to Ole Miss football everybody knows the Rebels are the premier receiving corp in the SEC if not the nation. Of course, when you consider the great Rebel receivers who have seen NFL success it’s a given.The NWO has the potential to see some of the best high school talent in the State of Texas in its depth chart if coach Jacob Peeler can pull it off.
Tommy Bush of Schertz, Texas is a 4-star WR who is listed at a whopping 6’5″ and 191 lbs. Although uncommitted Bush is also being recruited hard by Georgia, Michigan State and Baylor.
Another big-time Texas receiving target is Miles Battle who is on campus this weekend. Battle is a 4-star WR out of Houston, Texas and is listed at 6’4′ and 188 lbs. Battle is also uncommitted and has been pushed towards Oregon. He also has a visit set for Arkansas next weekend.
Considering Ole Miss has the No.1 passing offense in the SEC under Phil Longo it shouldn’t be hard to get at least one of these big-bodied and talented receivers to ink with Ole Miss. Of course, I believe we will be surprised.
Prediction: Ole Miss signs a big-time 4-star WR from the Lone Star State.
Some Huge Defensive Targets
With some of the top defensive talent in the nation showing an interest in the Rebels we can expect Luke and company to finish strong. Cam’ron Jones, who announces his commitment later today, is a 4-star rated safety who is a human highlight reel. Out of Mansfield, Texas Jones is listed at 6’0″ and 200 lbs and is deciding between Baylor, Nebraska and Ole Miss.
Other top-tier talent being chased by the Rebels are ILB Jaylen Moody and DT Noah Jefferson. Moody is rated as a 3-star out of Conway, South Carolina. He is listed at 6’2″ and 225 lbs. Moody visited Ole Miss last weekend and has officials at Arkansas and Alabama. Jefferson is a 3-star rated DT out of Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona. Jefferson is listed at 6’6″ and 330 lbs. Jefferson is on campus in Oxford this weekend and Florida next weekend.
Defensive targets who will take official visits next weekend in Oxford are Benjie Franklin and Jayden McDonald. Franklin is rated a 3-star corner-back out of Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. He is listed at 5’11” and 185 lbs and has also received offers from Auburn, Tennessee and Kansas. McDonald is a 3-star rated OLB out of Suwanee, Georgia. His listed at 6’2″ and 201 lbs. McDonald is visiting Iowa this weekend.
After the early signing period being focused heavily on defense with 10 commits, it’s hard to imagine Ole Miss football signing many more defensive players. However, there is a possibility. I believe we can expect to see Luke and McGriff continue to focus on closing strong on defense.
Prediction: Ole Miss football signs at least 4 more defensive players in 2018.
A Strong Finish For Ole Miss
After the success for Ole Miss football recruiting with the early signing period it’s easy to be optimistic about a good finish. Coach Matt Luke wasted no time in showing he and his staff had been recruiting hard. Of course, we expect a strong finish after such a great start. With the number of remaining 4-star targets Matt Luke could be in a position to shock college football recruiting again.
Over this weekend and next there will be a lot of work to secure specific top players. With the top players being looked at by so many good schools it won’t be an easy task. However, when it comes to having all the tools to recruit with Matt Luke and staff are sitting in really good shape.
Next: On The Recruiting Trail!
Ole Miss football could be a few more 4-star players away from seeing another substantial gain in the recruiting rankings. Of course, it means Luke has to be able to continue to close the deal with these recruits. He’s done well enough so far. Hotty Toddy!
Prediction: Ole Miss football recruiting finishes in the Top25 in final signing class rankings.