Ole Miss trending for 4-star RB Shekai Mills-Knight

After losing a wave of commitments earlier this year, Ole Miss looks to be back on track on the recruiting trail.

The Rebels have added nine pledges to the fold since the beginning of June and now have 13 total commits in the 2025 class, as of July 28. An important target in the backfield is trending heavily to join that list, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

After logging an official visit in June, Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor four-star running back Shekai Mills-Knight returned to Oxford over the weekend for Juice Fest, one of the top recruiting events in the South. Lane Kiffin and Co. were the first to offer Mills-Knight, and according to On3’s Chad Simmons, are in good position to land his pledge.

“The Rebels are in great shape to land his commitment currently,” Simmons wrote earlier this month. “Like with (Ladarian) Clardy, the staff is doing a great job making Mills-Knight feel like a priority. He is in consistent communication with multiple staffers and the relationships are strong and real.”

Mills-Knight could make his decision soon

At the end of June, Mills-Knight named his top eight schools, including Ole Miss, as well as Auburn, Michigan, Ohio State, Miami and others. It’s the Rebels that have picked up predictions in the On3 RPM from Simmons and Ole Miss insider Zach Berry, though.

“I am getting closer as the days go by to making my commitment,” Mills-Knight told On3 on July 15. “I am not 100 percent there yet, but I am getting closer and closer. My decision should come sometime next month. I want to be committed before the start of the season.”

Miami, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee each also had Mills-Knight on campus for an official visit this summer. The blue-chipper is continuing to work through his process and weigh his options.

“On top of my list, the coaching staff is most important to me,” he said. “That is who I will be around the most in college, so it is about the relationships I have built with them. The atmosphere, the culture and the offense that can utilize my skill set are important to me too.”

Mills-Knight is the No. 346 overall prospect and No. 29 RB in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 11 player in Tennessee.

On3 ranks the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder higher than other recruiting services, however. He checks in at No. 236 overall, No. 19 at the RB position and No. 7 in the Volunteer State, per the 2025 On300.

Ole Miss currently has the nation’s No. 27 class, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.