Rebel heist? Ole Miss hoping to steal four-star defensive line target away from Oregon Ducks
Lane Kiffin and his staff are playing catch up for one of the top DL prospects in the country. Can the Rebels catch up to the Ducks? Let’s get into the latest intel.
Collins Hill (Ga.) defensive lineman Deuce Geralds is set to announce his commitment August 2. The finalists are LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, and Ole Miss.
Geralds' father, Daverin Geralds, played his college ball in Oxford for the Rebels. But, as of this writing, all the buzz is around the Oregon Ducks. Lane Kiffin and his defensive line coach, Randall Joyner are going to do everything they can to change this.
Several recruiting experts have predicted Geralds will pick the Ducks, but the family lineage appeal still lingers. Along with the LSU Tigers being close to his family, this is going to be a Big Ten vs SEC battle down to the wire.
Deuce Geralds talked with Rivals' Billy Embody earlier this fall.
The No. 8 defensive lineman and No. 10 player in Georgia had a knockout visit at his father’s alma mater.
“Getting back to Ole Miss was wonderful,” Geralds told Rivals. “Getting back on campus and just being around that staff was just great. It was just a family when I’m up there so they treat me good.
“They made sure I was a priority. They made sure the players all knew about me and knew of me so me and the players are building a connection already just in case I do end up making the decision to come there so Oxford can be my home.”
The aforementioned Joyner has made quite the impression on Deuce and his family. Everyone hit it off from the very beginning.
“Being around coach Joyner is just great,” Geralds said. “He’s a great d-line coach, knows what he’s talking about and he’s running a great scheme with that great defensive line and front that they had this year. They put up the numbers to show that, too.
“Coach (Pete) Golding and coach Joyner, the way they’re working together right now is a peak defense right now,” he continued. “They’re real, they play together, they know where their strengths are and they know how to exploit other teams with coach Golding as that DC. He has a great resume with previous d-men down there and he’s a great coach also. Him and coach Joyner combined are just amazing and I feel like their defense is always going to be at a high level.
“Ole Miss is very, very high for me. It’s definitely one of my top schools that I’ll be making a decision with so I’ll see in the future whether that’s where I really will call home.”
The Oregon Ducks have all the momentum, though.
And head coach Dan Lanning has to be feeling good with an announcement coming this week. But there seems to be one program making this one difficult according to Rivals' Justin Hopkins.
That seems to be the biggest threat currently to Oregon landing defensive lineman Deuce Geralds at this point. And LSU makes a ton of sense from geography, to existing relationships and the fact they are well-funded on the NIL front.I’ve been pretty confident on Oregon prior to a commitment announcement of Aug. 2. I’m still feeling pretty good about Oregon today, but totally aware of the threat from the Tigers. Again, plucking a really good player from the state of Georgia over LSU, Ole Miss and others, can make me pause.I’m not backing down from predicting Oregon today. But simply reminding folks how these decisions can get a bit tricky in those final days leading up to a decision. Geography suggests LSU probably has about a 2,500 mile advantage on Oregon.
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There's plenty of talk about the distance from home if he were to pick Oregon. It's over 2,700 miles from Collins Hill High School. Rivals' director of recruiting, Chad Simmons, also mentions another program to keep an eye on.
"Is it too far from home? That has been the question, but it does not seem to be. Michigan is who we reported a week ago was running with the Ducks in that top group and we have not heard anything to change that," Simmons said. "LSU and Ole Miss are the other schools to watch, and neither has given up."