With plenty of offensive talent returning to Oxford, Ole Miss football can use the infusion of talent from the 2018 class to take a step forward next season.
Ole Miss football landed quite the quality haul on the 2018 recruiting trail, bolstering the talent coming into Oxford this year. This recruiting class was also very balanced across the board for the Rebels. All 21 prospects who committed have signed their Letter of Intent.
Of those 21 signees, three are four-star recruits. And, two of those three four-star prospects are wide receivers. Ole Miss looks to continue the trend of top-notch receiving corps, to compete with the very best defensive backs in the SEC.
The most highly-touted prospect in this Ole Miss recruiting class is four-star pro-style quarterback Matt Corral. The fourth best at his position in the nation for the 2018 recruiting cycle, Corral gives the Rebels offense a potentially elite option under center for the next few years.
This signing class for Ole Miss registers as the No. 31 ranked group in the nation, and 10th best in the SEC. It’s not easy to claim a spot in the top 10 classes in the SEC each year either. There’s no other conference that recruits as well, top to bottom, than the SEC.
Ole Miss came in ahead of the Kentucky Wildcats, Vanderbilt Commodores, Missouri Tigers, and Arkansas Razorbacks. They almost eclipsed their in-state rival Mississippi State Bulldogs, but were edged by just a few recruit ranking points, according to 247Sports.
All things considered, this recruiting class definitely builds the confidence up for Matt Luke and the Ole Miss football fan base in Oxford. Here are five signees who will make an instant impact for the Ole Miss Rebels in 2018.
One of the strongest position groups, if not the best, for the Rebels in the 2018 recruiting class was at wide receiver. With two-thirds of Ole Miss’s four-star commits positioned at wide receiver, they’ll continue a recent trend of success in the receiving corps.
Although four-star Texas native Miles Battle was not the top ranked receiver in this class overall, he has the size advantage. Fellow four-star receiver Elijah Moore is the second best player in Ole Miss’s class altogether, only behind Corral.
However, this Cy Creek High School product is ready to see some action during his freshman campaign, and take on what opposing SEC West secondaries have to offer. At 6-foot-4, Battle has the size that could potentially carry his career into the NFL in four years.
A loaded Rebels receiving corps featuring players like A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, and DaMarkus Lodge, just got even better after National Signing Day. Battle has the physical tools that should allow him to be the front-runner among the three incoming freshmen receivers.
The loss of a productive starting running back like Jordan Wilkins is going to hurt the balance of the Ole Miss offense in 2018. Whether Luke can replace the production lost from Wilkins is the ultimate test.
Wilkins was not just a usual 1,000 yard rusher for the Ole Miss offense. He was the first to do so, while also averaging at least 6.5 yards per carry, since former Kansas City Chiefs do-it-all weapon Dexter McCluster. And, McCluster’s 1,000 yard season came way back in 2009.
Next up for the Rebels is the most experienced rusher returning in 2018, Eric Swinney. However, Swinney is likely to be complimented by Jones County Junior College transfer and three-star running back Scottie Phillips. That’s a potent combination that could develop into something special in the next two seasons.
Phillips is the second best running back in the nation, out of all the JUCO prospects. He chose the Rebels over offers from other top-tier programs like the Miami Hurricanes and LSU Tigers. Most of all, he picked the Rebels over Mississippi State.
We’d be kidding ourselves if we did not think that Corral would at least get a chance to show Luke and the Ole Miss offense what he can do in 2018. He’s one of the most talented pro-style quarterbacks in the nation, and does provide depth at the position this year.
Rising senior dual-threat quarterback Jordan Ta’amu is the likely starter under center to begin the regular season. However, Corral should get himself some playing time, especially if the Rebels take some commanding leads in non-conference action.
Corral originally committed to an SEC foe in the Florida Gators, but decommitted before joining Ole Miss. He signed his Letter of Intent with the Rebels during the Early Signing Period, the first of its kind that was held back in December.
Moreover, his commitment and eventual dropping of the Gators was not his first time around with that process. Corral’s first decision to commit came with the USC Trojans. He then decommitted from the Trojans in the Summer of 2017. Ole Miss does get a tremendously talented quarterback in Corral, though.
This is a very strong class of JUCO commits for Ole Miss. Phillips is not the only JUCO transfer that is ready to make an instant impact in SEC play. Three-star strong-side defensive end James Williams is a top 20 JUCO prospect at his position in the nation.
Losses of two key defensive lineman at the conclusion of the 2017 campaign, defensive ends Breeland Speaks and Marquis Haynes, leaves some opportunity for new faces to step into key starting roles. Williams is one of those players with that big opportunity.
At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, Williams has the size necessary to succeed in the SEC in 2018. As a Mississippi native, Williams had the choice of a few different SEC schools. Aside from the offer from Ole Miss, he had suitors like the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, and Michigan Wolverines.
This was another key commitment for Luke. Even with the program somewhat in flux he was able to nab a recruit that could easily turn into a regular starter on Saturdays. JUCO transfers are always key players to watch for early playing time, and Williams is no exception.
The unique physical tools that three-star cornerback Keidron Smith brings to the table will set him apart on the Ole Miss defense in the next couple years. Smith is the lowest rated recruit on this list and in the 2018 Ole Miss class in general.
However, the other offers that Smith got on the recruiting trail is proof of the ceiling he has in a Power Five secondary. Smith received 22 offers total including a few from top programs like the Oklahoma Sooners, LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Clemson Tigers, and Miami Hurricanes.
The fact that Smith elected an out of state school, especially as far away as Mississippi, shows he’s ready to put forward the commitment for a big time college career. He had some quality programs with a more sound geographic relation to his hometown, and the Rebels nabbed him away from the rest of the SEC and ACC recruiting competition.
Next: What's the ceiling for Ole Miss football in 2018?
At 6-foot-2, Smith can matchup with some bigger SEC wide receivers his freshman season. He’s also got a great combination of ball skills, quickness in coverage, and pursuit against the run game. If there’s any three-star prospect that pans out above all the rest this time around for Ole Miss, Smith is a great choice to breakout.