Posted by Evelyn Van Pelt | Dec 8, 2023 | Football, Recruiting
OXFORD, Miss. — It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, it’s the holiday season, but it’s also recruiting and portal season, and that could bring some nice Christmas gifts to Rebel fans as Lane Kiffin and staff are in high gear after some of the nation’s top players.
Check out our TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER for the latest Ole Miss comings and goings!
In fact, after the announcement was made Sunday that the Rebels would be headed to the Peach Bowl, Coach Kiffin met with media via zoom and explained he and his team did not have a watch party for the occasion. The head coach noted it was an official visitors weekend and he and his staff were busy recruiting and meeting with players.
“We did not have a watch party. We were actually just here working, recruiting. We had an official visit weekend here. I was really in recruiting meetings. This would probably surprise you guys, I found out on the TV like all you guys did…So very excited but probably not what you thought. We were just continuing to work and had a lot of official visitors here and a lot of meetings to do.”
Lane Kiffin on recruiting when Peach Bowl announcement was made
Early Signing Day on December 20, 2023 is quickly approaching. That’s the day high school recruits can sign their National Letter of Intent to commit to play for the Rebels. Transfer players, on the other hand, do not have a “signing day.” They simply enroll and start attending classes. But that doesn’t make their announcements any less exciting, and we’re keeping an eye on those as well.
Here is the list of high school visitors who are scheduled to be on campus this weekend. These are some star-studded recruits! Note: These situations are always fluid and some who are scheduled, may not make it on campus, while some may also be added at the last minute.
High School Visitors
Noreel White: 2024 4-star ATH | St. Martin High School; Oak Grove, MS (Ole Miss commit)
AJ Maddox: 2024 4-star QB | Oak Grove High School; Hattiesburg, MS (Texas A&M commit)
Kam Franklin: 2024 4-star DL | Lake Cormorant High School; Lake Cormorant, MS (Ole Miss commit)
Jeffery Rush: 2024 4-star DL | Pascagoula High School; Pascagoula, MS (Ole Miss commit)
Kam Beavers: 2024 4-star DL | Bay Springs High School; Bay Springs, MS (Ole Miss commit)
Will Echoles: 2024 4-star DL | Houston High School; Houston, MS (Ole Miss commit)
Pat Broomfield: 2024 3-star CB | Clarksdale High School; Clarksdale, MS (Ole Miss commit)
Travaris Banks: 2024 4-star S | Hillcrest High School; Tuscaloosa, AL (Ole Miss commit)
Transfer Portal Visitors
We have not received the official list of this weekend’s transfer portal visitors; however, we can say the following players are set to be in Oxford this weekend, along with one who has already visited. Could this change? Certainly. But for now, at least, here’s what we know for sure. We will keep you posted as other transfers make their visit plans known. Just know that Lane Kiffin and staff have been putting in the hours recruiting some of the nation’s top transfers, and we expect that to pay dividends.
Carter Smith | Indiana offensive tackle
The 6’5, 300-pound offensive tackle was a redshirt freshman this season, where he took on a much larger role for the Hoosiers. The Powell, Ohio native gained experience against teams like Michigan, Ohio State, Louisville, and Penn State, making him the perfect candidate for offensive line coach John Garrison’s unit. Smith could be used as both a starter or depth piece with three years of eligibility remaining.
Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr. | Arkansas linebacker
Paul is a linebacker from Arkansas, where he collected the second-most tackles (74) on the team for the Razorbacks in 2023. The sophom*ore, a Cordele, Georgia native, would be expected to help fill the absence left with the departure of Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, Monty Montgomery, and Ashanti Cistrunk. Even with SEC experience, watching Pete Golding develop Paul into an even better player could be a lot of fun for Ole Miss fans.
KeyShawn “Key” Lawrence | Oklahoma safety (Visited Ole Miss December 5, 2023)
KeShawn ‘Key’ Lawrence, a 6-foot-1, 206-pound transfer safety from Oklahoma. Lawrence started six games for the Sooners this season, and will have one year of eligibility remaining.
The Nashville native tallied 44 tackles in 2023 with two INTs, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. Over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, played in 24 games. He notched 105 total tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, one interception, seven pass break-ups and five forced fumbles. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors in 2021.
Antwane ‘Juice’ Wells, Jr. – South Carolina WR (SOURCES indicate he will visit Ole Miss this weekend)
NOTE: We have not received official confirmation of Juice Wells’ visit; however, Pete Nakos of On3 reports the South Carolina wide receiver will visit Ole Miss and Texas this weekend.
The South Carolina wide receiver announced Sunday night his intent to enter the transfer portal. Wells, who was one of the top wide receiver threats in the league, will be a graduate transfer who has two years of eligibility remaining. The Highland Springs, Virginia native suffered a foot injury earlier this season against Georgia and has not played since. The 6’1, 210-pound Wells was named preseason All-SEC after a junior campaign where he tallied 68 catches for 929 yards and six TDs and was named first-team All-SEC.
Hotty Toddy! Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all the latest Ole Miss recruiting news. And keep an eye out on our TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER for the latest comings and goings.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
