History says Ole Miss is typically a late bloomer in the portal

Ole Miss head coach was one of the first to truly utilize and revolutionize the NCAA Transfer Portal. In his third year in Oxford, Miss., he was very successful and was dubbed “The Portal King” when he landed the likes of Jaxson Dart, Zach Evans, Jared Ivey, Malik Heath and Jordan Watkins, among others.

Now, fast forward almost three years later and the trend remains the same. The Rebels will be looking for difference makers to round out another talented roster who is on the verge of winning 10 games. Thursday, Ole Miss takes on Duke in the Gator Bowl. After, though, the staff will go back on road and try to add to a Top 5 transfer portal recruiting class.

But, when do the big splashes typically happen? Ole Miss already has one of the top classes. But in recent years when the Rebs had the No. 1 class, things got started after the holidays. Let’s take a look at the recent trends according to the calendar. Could it spell for a fruitful 2025 for Kiffin and Co.?

2021 – 7 total signees

• 3-star LB Chance Campbell – February 8
• 3-star DB Terrell Vassel – May 25
• 4-star WR Jalen Knox – June 30
• 3-star IOL Orlando Umana – July 5

Not as big of a class like you see these days, but the difference makers were all scooped up after the spring portal window and into the summer. Campbell and Umana were starters and big-time impact players immediately.

2022 – 17 total signees

• 5-star RB Zach Evans – January 6
• 3-star DB Isheem Young – January 10
• 4-star LB Troy Brown – January 12
• 3-star OT Mason Brooks – January 17
• 4-star DL JJ Pegues – January 18
• 5-star QB Jaxson Dart – January 29
• 4-star TE Michael Trigg – January 29
• 4-star EDGE Jared Ivey – January 31
• 3-star WR Malik Heath – February 2
• 3-star WR Dayton Wade – February 2
• 3-star LB Khari Coleman – February 22
• 3-star RB Ulysses Bentley IV – March 16
• 3-star WR Jaylon Robinson – March 15
• 3-star TE DJ Ruff – May 27
• 3-star DB Dashaun Jerkins – May 30

A much bigger class, Kiffin signed immediate difference makers like Evans, Brown, Pegues, Ivey, Heath, Wade, Coleman and Bentley. Not to mention, he landed Dart, the program leader in total offense. This is the class which started portal mania at Ole Miss and just about the entire class and meaningful additions were all after the holidays. The only non-post holiday signee who made a huge impact was Jordan Watkins.

2023 – 24 total signees

• 4-star TE Caden Prieskorn – January 9
• 3-star IOL Quincy McGee – January 15
• 3-star IOL Victor Curne – January 17
• 4-star QB Walker Howard – January 18
• 4-star QB Spencer Sanders – January 19
• 4-star DB DeShawn Gaddie – January 20
• 4-star LB Monty Montgomery – January 20
• 4-star DB Zamari Walton – January 22
• 3-star DB DaiJahn Anthony – May 4
• 3-star DL Akelo Stone – May 12
• 4-star DL Stephon Wynn – May 18
• 4-star EDGE Isaac Ukwu – May 19
• 3-star DB Jadon Canady – May 25
• 4-star WR Zakhari Franklin – June 3
• 3-star DB Teja Young – June 6
• 4-star LB TJ Dottery – July 28
• 4-star DB Chris Graves – July 30
• 4-star RB Jam Griffin – August 4

Another large transfer class with several key contributors. Right off the bat, adding Prieskorn was a great way to start 2023. Then, you add impact guys like McGee, Curne, Gaddie, Montgomery, Walton, Anthony, Stone, Ukwu, Canady, Dottery and Graves. Not to mention, Ole Miss landed the likes of Tre Harris, John Saunders and Caden Davis during the holiday season.

2024 – 26 total signees

• 4-star OT Diego Pounds – January 8
• 3-star RB Logan Diggs – January 10
• 3-star TE Dae’Quan Wright – January 14
• 3-star DB Yam Banks – January 14
• 4-star DB Brandon Turnage – January 19
• 4-star DB Trey Amos – January 19
• 4-star OT Nate Kalepo – January 25
• 4-star OT Julius Buelow – January 25
• 4-star RB Henry Parrish – April 22
• 4-star DB Isaiah Hamilton – May 3
• 3-star RB Rashad Amos – May 18
• 3-star RB Domonique Thomas – May 19
• 3-star DL Chris Hardie – May 26
• 3-star WR Micah Davis – August 21

Three of the biggest contributors were signed pre-Christmas in Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen and Pooh Paul. But, after the new year prospects like Pounds, Wright, Banks, Amos, Kalepo, Buelow and Parrish all found themselves in the starting lineup.