SEC Recruiting Grades After National Signing Day: Alabama, Tennessee on Top

Nov 22, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

9. Ole Miss Rebels

Rivals Class Rank: No. 21

It is not the Top 10 class Hugh Freeze brought in a few years ago, but he has still done his part to keep the Ole Miss Rebels relevant in the SEC world, and if they keep winning the way they have been, save for the 42-3 loss to TCU, then recruiting will continue to get consistently better.

Ole Miss’s class this year brings exactly what the Rebels did not have last year: depth. Picking up defensive tackle D.J. Jones, offensive lineman Javon Patterson, and running back Eric Swinney are huge for the program.

Unfortunately, Freeze’s class also overloads where he is already strong: defensive back and wide receiver. The Rebels only had receiver problems last year due to injury and an unreliable quarterback in Bo Wallace, but they could have used their elite recruits elsewhere outside of DeMarkus Lodge and Van Jefferson. What can be said, though, is with Freeze’s spread/pro-style element he runs, great receivers are perfect for the system.

But Ole Miss still needed to shore up more on both sides of the line of scrimmage first, and while they did it to a point, they did not do it enough. Still, this is another Top 25 class that will definitely be good for the Rebels in the future.

Grade: B

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