Even with the 2018 Ole Miss football recruiting season just winding down it’s still never too early to take a look at the 2019 recruiting class.
Recruiting never ends for Ole Miss football and coach Matt Luke. Even though the 2018 Ole Miss class will close Wednesday this Rebels staff is already looking towards 2019. This particular recruiting class has already begun ranked No.13 in the nation and No.6 in the SEC with 4 hard commits. This class has the potential to be very exciting as the next year progresses.
Of course, Mississippi is a hotbed of top ranked high school players and with Matt Luke’s recent success with recruiting he should do well with this class. All four of the 2019 commits are top Mississippi players. Jerrion Ealy is a 4-star rated RB out of Jackson Prep and Jamond Gordon is a 3-star rated WDE out of Meridian. Ole Miss also picked up commitments from Tupelo teammates 3-star rated WR Jordan Jernigan and 3-star rated S Tavario Standifer.
Gordon committed in late October however Ealy, Jernigan and Standifer all committed shortly after the Rebels Egg Bowl win and Matt Luke’s permanent hiring. So far this seems to be the catalyst for the surge of 2019 commitments for Ole Miss. There is also a fair amount which can certainly be attributed to the departure of Dan Mullen from Miss State. However, at this point Matt Luke had a clear advantage in recruiting Mississippi in 2019.
Digging Deeper
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Jerrion Ealy of Jackson Prep is listed at 5’8.5″ and 171 lbs. Besides being a 4-star RB Ealy is also a baseball player who is rated as the No.7 professional prospect in the nation. Ealy did commit to play both sports in Oxford. During Ealy’s junior season at Prep he carried the ball for 1,743 yards rushing and had 32 TDs. Ealy also had 578 receiving yards for 8 TDs. Jerrion is a very exciting player and his highlights are worth a look.
Jamond Gordon out of Meridian is listed at 6’4″ and 264 lbs and rated a 3-star defensive end by 247Sports. Gordon has good size at the DE position and he still plays fast and all over the field. Of course, you can watch his highlights on Hudl and see for yourself he is a very good athlete.
Jordan Jernigan and Tavario Standifer are both from Tupelo and both rated as 3-star players. Jernigan is a WR listed at 6’1″ and 181 lbs. He has good hands and speed and runs good routes. Like the other commits you can check out his highlights. Standifer is listed at 6’2″ and 192 lbs and rated a 3-star free safety. You can watch his highlights and see he looks ready for SEC play. Standifer is expected to make an immediate impact in the Rebels secondary.
Other Notable Offers
Naturally there are a number of other offers out there which Ole Miss has made to Mississippi players. A few which jump out at this point in time are players who have shown interest in the Rebels. Dannis Jackson is a 4-star rated WR out of Sumrall. Jackson is listed at 6’1″ and 160 lbs. Jackson also holds offers from LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisville.
Another Mississippi receiver who holds an offer from Ole Miss football has shown interest. 3-star WR Kevin Barnett of Oak Grove is listed at 6’3″ and 185 lbs. He holds offers from Duke, Indiana and Marshall although he has indicated the Rebels are his favorite at this point.
Unrated OLB Derick Hall is a big-time linebacker. Out of Gulfport Hall is listed at 6’5″ and 210 lbs. Despite being unrated Hall holds offers from MSU, Kansas, Vanderbilt and the Rebels. It is believed Hall’s decision will be between Ole Miss and MSU.
Bryce Ramsey is a 3-star rated OG out of Harrison Central. Ramsey is listed at 6’1.5″ and 346 lbs. Ramsey holds a Ole Miss offer as well as offers from Jackson State, Alcorn State, Memphis and Florida State.
Another exciting player to watch is Byron Young out of West Jones. Jones is a 4-star SDE and is listed at 6’5″ and 250 lbs. Jones holds an offer from Ole Miss as well as MSU, Alabama, Florida and LSU. Right now the decision seems to be between the Rebels and MSU.
Recruiting Well Now Helps Later
This current 2018 Ole Miss football recruiting class has been amazing with all things considered. The effort and focus coach Matt Luke and his entire staff have put into this class has certainly paid off huge. In college football, recruiting and winning feed off each other. You can’t be good at one without the other. In the case of Ole Miss football right now it’s obvious the final win in 2017 over State College was key in the 2018 class. It may even continue to be a catalyst with the 2019 class as well.
Next: National Signing Day Predictions!
Of course, things can change in recruiting at pretty fast pace. However, if Ole Miss can have a good 2018 season then the sky could be the limit for the 2019 recruiting class. Regardless, at this point, coach Matt Luke and Ole Miss football are off to a very good start. Hotty Toddy!