Ole Miss Rebels have some incredible freshman breakout candidates who could make or break a College Football Playoff run
The Ole Miss Rebels have become known as a Transfer Portal team in the Lane Kiffin era, but that doesn't mean they don't have any wildly talented freshman. In fact, Kiffin and his staff finally got the Rebels high school recruiting up to top 15 status this past offseason for 2025.What does that mean? They […]
The Ole Miss Rebels have become known as a Transfer Portal team in the Lane Kiffin era, but that doesn't mean they don't have any wildly talented freshman. In fact, Kiffin and his staff finally got the Rebels high school recruiting up to top 15 status this past offseason for 2025.
What does that mean? They finally have a stacked group of true freshman breakout candidates who could make or break a College Football Playoff run for the Rebels. Let's dive into the four most likely game-changing true freshman stars-in-the-making.
Caleb Cunningham, Five Star WR
Caleb Cunningham has been considered a five star wide receiver recruit for much of his high school football journey, and only recently got knocked down rankings boards a bit in January as a couple recruiting services punished him for not going to any all star games.
Since then, Cunningham has flown under the radar somehow. Despite being a top 40 player in the country, it's almost as if many have forgotten that Cunningham was running over 20 miles per hour as a junior in high school and should certainly still be considered a truly elite talent.
He may have some older more experienced talents ahead of him in De'Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace, and Cayden Lee, but Cunningham could very well steal some snaps early in the season. If Wallace or Stribling fails to show that they're truly dynamic in the first few weeks of the year don't be surprised if Cunningham is starting by the time Ole Miss hits the heart of their SEC schedule.
Shekai Mills-Knight, Four Star RB
College fantasy football fans are already crowning Shekai Mills-Knight RB1 in the 2025 recruiting class thanks to his stylistic similarity to Quinshon Judkins and impressive athleticism for his size. That may seem a bit aggressive for a player barely rated inside the top 150 recruits of the 2025 class, but Mills-Knight certainly looks like he's got the goods.
The only reason he may not break out in a huge way is that Ole Miss actually has a ridiculous amount of depth in their backfield.
Logan Diggs should finally be healthy and may lead the running backs to start the year. Damien Taylor transferred over from Troy after posting over 1000 yards last season. Domonique Thomas returns as a rotational depth option, and Kewan Lacy transferred in from Missouri.
Shekai Mills-Knight may take a while to prove that he's the best back for Ole Miss, but at 6'1", nearly 220 pounds with home run speed and burst he could (and certainly should) be given a real opportunity to breakout as a true freshman as the future feature back for Ole Miss.
Devin Harper, Four Star OL
Devin Harper was the highest rated player in the Ole Miss 2025 recruiting class according to all the major rankings sites, so it's not a surprise to find him on the potential breakout freshman candidates list. He may actually be the favorite of this group to breakout, but likely won't get credit because he's an offensive lineman.
Harper isn't likely going to open camp atop the depth chart at either offensive guard spot, but he could push to win either position with a strong fall camp and likely part-time showing in Week 1 against Georgia State.
Andrew Maddox, Four Star DL
The Ole Miss defensive line was the best in college football last season, creating the most pressures and sacks in the entire country. The Rebels will likely have a harder time creating pressure up front this year, but Zxavian Harris, Jamarious Brown, and rising star sophomore Will Echoles should create some chaos along the defensive interior.
Andrew Maddox should be in line to be the fourth interior defensive line contributor and Ole Miss does love to work with in depth up front. Maddox is already 6'4", 280 pounds with plenty of strength and bend for his size. He should be the future of the Ole Miss defensive front (along with Will Echoles), so don't be surprised if even in a part-time role as a true freshman he doesn't become the most effective defensive tackle on the team.
We'll be back with more Ole Miss Rebels coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you want to see why Shekai Mills-Knight should be considered one of the best freshman running backs in the country just enjoy some of his highlights in the video below.
