Top 2026 quarterback has Ole Miss as a top program in his recruitment

Ole Miss football is making significant progress regarding 2026 recruits. One of head coach Lane Kiffin's top targets is quarterback Landon Duckworth.

The Jackson, Alabama native is focusing on four schools, one of which is the Rebels, which he visited Saturday for Ole Miss' first junior day of 2025.

Kiffin recently traveled to Jackson High School to watch Duckworth and talk to running back Ezavier Crowell. UCF is also heavily recruiting both players.

Duckworth is one of the top prospects in the 2026 class, helped by his size, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound dual-threat talent. 247Sports has him as the No.5 ranked quarterback and the No.4 player in Alabama.

The Alabama native also plays basketball; if he wanted to continue doing that, Ole Miss would not stand in his way.

Current quarterback Austin Simmons played football and baseball for the Rebels before deciding to concentrate on just football after Jaxson Dart left for the NFL, giving him the opportunity to be the starter in 2025.

Duckworth has offers from around the nation, from some top schools. He looks to have a good relationship with Lane Kiffin, which is a great sign. Usually, once Kiffin creates those connections, he gets his man.

Ole Miss offered Duckworth in November 2023, and it was one of the first programs to do so. This is another small thing that could help with his recruiting.

Kiffin may be all in regarding a quarterback from the 2026 class after missing out on one from the 2025 class. He has two good quarterbacks in the room, but at least one could be gone ina two seasons, so stocking up for the future looks to be the best move.