Ole Miss rises in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

March has been a big month on the recruiting trail for Ole Miss. It got even larger for the Rebels on Saturday.

That is because Ole Miss landed a commitment from Pascagoula (Miss.) four-star defensive lineman Jeffery Rush. He chose the program while visiting Oxford.

Rush’s pledge elevated the Rebels’ 2024 recruiting class to No. 17 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Ole Miss’ group, which also ranks No. 10 in the SEC, rose six spots from No. 23.

The 6-foot-1, 265-pound defender is the fifth player to choose head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff this cycle. Chandler (Ariz.) Basha four-star quarterback Demond Williams Jr., Picayune (Miss.) Picayune Memorial three-star running back Chris Davis, Winona (Miss.) Winona Secondary School three-star linebacker Fred Clark and Jackson (Miss.) Callaway three-star wide receiver Jeremy Scott are the others.

Clark, Davis and Scott have all committed to Ole Miss this month. Davis chose the Rebels just two days ago.

Rush is the No. 133 overall prospect and No. 17 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 5 player in Mississippi.

For more Ole Miss recruiting intel, check out OM Spirit.

Ole Miss still pushing for top players in Mississippi

Last cycle, Ole Miss’ 2023 class finished No. 25 in the 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. It also ranked No. 11 in the SEC.

A key reason for the Rebels’ position was that they landed Raleigh (Miss.) Five-Star Plus+ linebacker Suntarine Perkins, the No. 1 player in Mississippi. They also landed the No. 2 and No. 5 player in the state in Ridgeland (Miss.) four-star wide receiver Ayden Williams and Moss Point (Miss.) four-star Jamarious Brown.

At the moment, Ole Miss has pledges from four of the top 25 juniors in Mississippi. That may change, however.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Rebels are leading to land four of the top 10 players in their home state. They are Lake Cormorant (Miss.) four-star defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin (20.9%), Bay Springs (Miss.) four-star defensive lineman Kamron Beavers (96.3%), Picayune (Miss.) Picayune Memorial four-star linebacker Jamonta Waller (86.9%) and Starkville (Miss.) four-star wide receiver Braylon Burnside (97.6%).

“(Kiffin) and coach (Derrick) Nix think I can be a lot like Jonathan Mingo,” Burnside told Zach Berry of OM Spirit on March 2. “I can play outside and be a physical over-the-top guy or I can be a slot guy or even in the backfield.”

“He sees me as a Deebo Samuel type,” he added about what Kiffin also said to him.