The commitment pursuit of five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham has been eventful, to say the least. When the in-state prospect committed to Alabama on July 13, his comments indicated that was it. When recruiting, you can only be comfortable the day after National Signing Day.
Sources close to 247Sports Inside the Rebels have suggested that Cunningham still listens to what Lane Kiffin and his staff have to tell him. Despite being heavily on the side of Alabama over everybody, the fact the Choctaw Country High School pass catcher is still in communication with Ole Miss is encouraging.
It follows Cunningham's decision to split his time between both programs over the last weekend of July. Another significant decision was that he chose to attend "Juice Fest" over Auburn's "Big Cat Weekend." When Cunningham announced he would not be visiting Auburn, he was expected not to be on the Ole Miss campus. However, his arrival has given the Rebels a small amount of hope.
Cunningham is a five-star prospect, ranked the No.2 wide receiver and No.1 player in Mississippi per 247Sports Composite Rankings. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound talent committed to Alabama in July, but Ole Miss may still have a chance throughout the season in flipping Cunningham, though it is a slim one as it looks now.
Being an in-state prospect gives Ole Miss a chance
With Caleb Cunningham an in-state prospect, Ole Miss has a unique selling point: staying home and being one of the greatest to do it for a home-state school. It won't win the recruiting battle, but it could swing a decision if two teams are close.
Ole Miss has seen Mississippi native receivers commit to their program and go on to be high-earning wide receivers at the next level. A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf both committed to the Rebels, and the program helped put them in a position to be high draft picks. They are now among the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL.
Lane Kiffin also has one of the most explosive offenses in college football, which is another reason that Cunningham is interested in Ole Miss. Currently, he is an Alabama commit, and the Crimson Tide has opportunities to tighten their relationship with him. Ole Miss will be hoping their 2024 performances and continued communication help with a potential flip.