Ole Miss football could land top transfer portal defensive lineman thanks to Pete Golding connection

Ole Miss will ramp up its transfer portal work when it officially opens next week, allowing official visits and other communication. Several players who have filed the paperwork, two of them Alabama players, have been mentioned alongside the Rebels.

After three seasons in Tuscaloosa, former Mississippi high school player Jehiem Oatis declared his intent to enter the transfer portal in October. His connections with Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding suggest Oxford could be a destination.

Jehiem Oatis the second Alabama transfer to be linked with Ole Miss

Jehiem Oatis isn't the first Alabama player to have his name mentioned alongside Ole Miss; the other linebacker is Keanu Koht, who is set to visit Oxford next week. Both players were recruited by Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding when he was the DC at Alabama under Nick Saban.

Oatis announced he would redshirt back in October and enter the transfer portal when it opened in December. There has been little noise since, but Ole Miss has always been a possible destination.

He was a regular starter in his first season under Nick Saban and Pete Golding and his second under just under Saban. However, when the now ESPN GameDay co-host retired, Kalen DeBoer took the job, resulting in limited playing time for Oatis.

The connections to Ole Miss were always going to throw up the links to the program, with David Johnson of 247Sports Inside the Rebels inputting a crystal ball prediction for Oatis to transfer to Lane Kiffin's team.

We will wait for more confidence about the potential transfer, but Ole Miss will likely be available for his services.