The in-state rivalry just got more heated. Mississippi State managed to flip a fresh Ole Miss commit on Thursday to add to their roster.
It was a brutal blow for Chris Beard as Washington State transfer PF ND Okafor announced his deicison to flip to the Bulldogs.
Ole Miss looses ND Okafor
The Rebels had landed Okafor on April 18.
The honeymoon period for Okafor’s commitment lasted less than two weeks before the rug was pulled out from under the Rebels.
The exit leaves Beard staring at a massive hole in the rotation with only JMU transfer Christian Brown and Pittsburgh transfer Roman Suilepa left to shoulder the load in the paint.
Beard's squad is in a critical condition now. While both bring physicality, Siulepa is a young player and Brown can't log 40 minutes at the five. Without another true big, the Rebels risk being bullied in a frontcourt-heavy SEC.
Last season, Ole Miss finished 15th in the SEC in rebounds per game. Okafor was supposed to be the "fix" for that specific problem. Without a veteran replacement, the burden falls entirely on returning players like Corey Chest and the newcomer Brown, which is a massive gamble for a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations.
In 2025-26, Okafor averaged 11 points and 5.7 rebounds across 32 starts with the Cougars. It was a leap forward from his 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds on average in 2024. Okafor has one season of eligibility remaining. He played his first two seasons at Cal before transferring to Washington State.
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