Ole Miss’s latest in-state recruiting blow is another four-star to a SEC rival – is it as bad as it seems?
Greene County (Miss.) four-star wide receiver Jase Mathews announced his commitment Friday. And once again, the Ole Miss Rebels miss out on an in-state blue chip. Mathews, a 6-foot-2, 180 pound prospect chose the Auburn Tigers over the Rebels, LSU, and Texas A&M.At one point, it looked like the Ole Miss Rebels would be the […]
Greene County (Miss.) four-star wide receiver Jase Mathews announced his commitment Friday. And once again, the Ole Miss Rebels miss out on an in-state blue chip. Mathews, a 6-foot-2, 180 pound prospect chose the Auburn Tigers over the Rebels, LSU, and Texas A&M.
At one point, it looked like the Ole Miss Rebels would be the heavy favorite, but the optimism faded quickly as others began to prioritize Mathews more on the recruiting trail. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and assistant Derrick Nix were instrumental in winning this SEC battle.
Despite the loss, Ole Miss still boasts a Top 20 recruiting class in the 2026 cycle. Clay-Chalkville (Ala.) four-star Corey Barber and Folsom (Calif.) three-star Jameson Powell are the lone receivers in the class, though.
So in the new NIL/transfer portal era, is this loss in August truly as bad as it seems?
Of the nine Top 10 committed Mississippi prospects, Ole Miss holds a commitment from just one.
Now, signing day is not until December so things can obviously change. Especially in this day and age of NIL and revenue share, lots of promises and deals can fall flat. But, this seems like something else.
One, it is even more proof head coach Lane Kiffin is not only putting more and more emphasis on the transfer portal, but also focusing on the 2025 season as we are now in week two of fall camp. Now, this isn’t to say Kiffin and his staff do not care about high school recruiting. The staff clearly does as evident by the seven four-stars in the 2026 recruiting class. But, Kiffin has shown over the last few cycles, he is more willing to take a transfer who is older, more experienced, and possibly wanting it a little bit more during a draft year.
On the other hand, it’s not the best look with Ole Miss continuing to miss on top, in-state talent. The No. 1 prospect in the state is five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys and he’s committed to LSU. The No. 2 prospect in Mississippi is five-star safety Bralan Womack and he is trending to Ohio State. Two premium positions of need for any CFP hopeful program and so far the Rebels have gone 0-for-2.
One premium position of need Ole Miss has hit on is running back.
Kemper County (Miss.) four-star Damarius Yates flipped from Mississippi State to the Rebels earlier this year and for now seems solid with his commitment. Ole Miss has struggled to land elite running backs in recent cycles so going ahead and signing a four-star high school prospect is a great way to ensure development and depth within your program.
In 2025, Ole Miss signed Baylor School (Tenn.) four-star Shekai Mills-Knight and he could potentially see the field as early as this season, per sources. But, at worst, he will be a dude in 2026 and beyond you can build around alongside Yates.
Other premium positions Ole Miss has hit on this cycle have been in the front seven. Four-stars Izayiah Williams, Anthony Davis Jr., Craig Tutt, and Landon Barnes are all committed. Williams and Davis provide an elite one, two punch at linebacker, Tutt is a versatile playmaker for the back end who doubles as an all-state running back for Oakland (Tenn.), and Barnes is a dynamic EDGE prospect from Duncanville (Tex.), one of the top programs in the state of Texas.
