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Ole Miss recruiting a shell of former self, but 2017 class fills a couple of specific needs
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As many eyes are on Ole Miss’s continuing NCAA investigation as are on the Rebels’ limping recruiting efforts.
After posting top-10 classes two of the past four years, the Rebels have fallen, fast, in large part to the NCAA scandal and in some part due to a 5-7 season.
It hasn’t stopped the Rebels from chasing some of the nation’s best, but it has halted in-state momentum with top player Cam Akers already announcing for Florida State and Mississippi’s No. 2 player, Starkville LB Willie Gay, looking likely to go to LSU or Mississippi State.
With one day left to impress targets, Ole Miss does have news to celebrate. Already enrolled is 4-star ILB Breon Dixon and Northeast (MS) CC ILB Brenden Williams. Both fill the Rebels’ biggest need on a maligned defense. Currently ranked No. 53 in 247Sports’ composite recruiting, landing Gay would change what has been an uninspiring class thus far.
SEC class rank: 13
Overall class rank: 53
5-stars: 0
4-stars: 2
3-stars: 12
Did Ole Miss win the state? No. The Rebels have just one commitment from a top-16 player in Mississippi; rival Mississippi State has three.
LSU and Louisville each have two.
Last year, Ole Miss signed 4 of the state’s top 7 players, 6 of the top 14.
In 2015, the Rebels grabbed 3 of the top 8.
This class is noticeably short on in-state talent.
Top player(s): Linebackers Dixon and Williams. Ole Miss ranked 13th in the SEC in total defense and last in rushing defense. Adding 6-foot Dixon and 6–3 Williams is vital to improving those numbers. New Orleans’ 3-star prospect Josh Clarke is an outside linebacker and another key piece to the puzzle.
Still chasing: Landing Gay seems extremely unlikely, but a year ago, the Rebels thought they had the state’s top defensive end Jeffery Simmons and Simmons chose Mississippi State.
Gay is the No. 2 player in the state and might become the top in-state player to stay in the state.
Best unit: Marquis Haynes gave the Rebels a spark when he announced he will return for his senior season at defensive end. The Rebels are bringing in big bodies to join him. Those include Jones County (CC) WDE Markel Winters (6-4, 260), Texas 3-star WDE Ryder Anderson (6-7, 230) and JUCO transfer Larrell Murchison (6-4, 277) on the strong side.
Biggest area of need filled: Ole Miss seems to have found plugs to fill the holes at linebacker. Dixon can be used early and the Rebels were the first to offer Williams, who is a playmaker with three years of eligibility. Ole Miss allowed 5.41 yards per rush and needs stoppers. Williams is that playmaker. He had 89 tackles in nine JUCO games.
Better or worse than 2016? The numbers obviously scream worse because they fall 48 spots in the rankings in one year.
The NCAA cloud continues to hang and will continue to hurt national efforts.
At this point, the Rebels’ best hope is to somehow climb into the top 10 of the SEC, but that would require moving into the top 30 nationally. It seems unlikely.
Hanging on to in-state 4-star wide receiver D.D. Bowie is a must.
Landing Gay would go a long way to salvaging this class and rebuilding toward 2018.
