Ole Miss Recruiting: 2025 commit breakdown

Ole Miss rounded out the top 20 of the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings last cycle. With the fall well underway, the Rebels are looking to level up on the recruiting trail for their 2025 class.

Lane Kiffin and Co. have built a solid foundation, as Ole Miss currently checks in with the No. 21 class in the nation and No. 11 class in the SEC, as of Sept 23.

A total of 17 prospects currently make up the class, headlined by some elite in-state recruits.

Ole Miss Class Breakdown

The Rebels have fought through multiple major decommitments this cycle and are still building a respectable pledge list heading into the fall. The pledge list is headlined by some big Magnolia State prospects.

Of the eight four-stars in the class, five are from Mississippi. Hattiesburg (Miss.) Oak Grove four-star defensive lineman Andrew Maddox sits near the top of the class as a top-200 recruit and top-20 DL in the nation. Horn Lake (Miss.) Lake Cormorant four-star linebacker Jarcoby Hopson is right behind, checking in at No. 206 overall.

Tupelo (Miss.) four-star cornerback Maison Dunn has been a major riser in the On300 and has been in the mix since May. He’s one of three four-star defensive backs in the class, alongside Auburndale (Fla.) Lakeland four-star safety Keon Young and Lexington (Miss.) Holmes County Central four-star safety Cortez Thomas.

Pensacola (Fla.) Escambia four-star safety Ladarian Clardy is the new top-ranked pledge in the mix following his Sept. 21 decision. He checks in just ahead of Maddox and is a top-20 player at his position.

Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor four-star running back Shekai Mills-Knight is another new addition to the class, as he pledged on Aug. 17. Gautier (Miss.) Saraland four-star wide receiver Dillon Alfred committed in August as well.

Top Offensive Commit: RB Shekai Mills-Knight

Mills-Knight was trending in the direction of Oxford for much of the spring and summer, and despite pushes from the likes of Auburn and Tennessee, he opted for Lane Kiffin and Co., filling a big gap that was left once Quitman (Miss.) four-star RB Akylin Dear decommitted earlier this year.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is now the nation’s No. 202 overall prospect, No. 15 RB and No. 4 player in Tennessee in the On3 Industry Ranking. He discussed his decision with On3’s Chad Simmons:

“Ole Miss has a lot to offer. They have a lot of things I like. From my relationship with coach Kevin Smith to the feeling I have when I am on campus to how I will be used in the offense – Ole Miss just has what I am looking for.”

Top Defensive Commit: SAF Ladarian Clardy

The recruiting process went on longer than expected for Clardy, but the answer always lied in Oxford for the 5-foot-11, 165-pounder. He is the nation’s No. 180 overall recruit, No. 16 safety and No. 29 player in Florida.

He broke down his commitment with Simmons:

“Ole Miss is like home away from home. How the coaching staff recruited me, how they got to know my family, they made it feel like home. That is what me and my family were looking for. Florida State is a great school. I loved Washington too. UCF was up there also. There is something different about Ole Miss. It just felt like home.”