Ole Miss Football: 3 early signees who will make an instant impact

The best JUCO commit that Ole Miss signed early is three-star running back, from Jones County Junior College, Scottie Phillips. As a Mississippi native, hailing from Ellisville, Phillips will feel right at home in Oxford.

With the departure of senior running back and 1,000 yard rusher Jordan Wilkins, the Rebels need someone to step up and take the reigns in the backfield. Phillips is the No. 1 ranked JUCO running back in the nation and should be able to fit that role perfectly.

Luke scored a huge addition to the program with Phillips. He held offers from three other schools, but originally committed to Ole Miss on July 1. LSU, Mississippi State, and Miami did try to pursue Phillips, but to no avail.

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Phillips joins an offense that features a solid dual-threat quarterback in Ta’amu and a young stable of running backs. Rising junior Eric Swinney is the favorite to win the starting job. Yet, Swinney will have strong competition coming from the 5-foot-9 Phillips next year.