Ole Miss Football Battling North Carolina Tar Heels for Top Quarterback Prospect

Jackson (Ala.) four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth remains a priority target for Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels as his rise continues in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle.

Duckworth, the No. 6 rated quarterback in America, backed off of a commitment to the South Carolina Gamecocks last summer with his recruiting process quickly ramping up across the last few months.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder led his prep squad to a state title in 2024 after putting together an impressive season on the gridiron.

Duckworth tossed for 3,109 passing yards, 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions through the air while also tallying 631 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in 14 games.

He’s now accumulated over 6,400 total yards and 80 touchdowns across 30 games in three seasons for Jackson, according to On3 Sports.

After a season that put the "Who's Who" of college football on notice; the coveted signal-caller has begun lining up a visit schedule.

Lane Kiffin and the Rebels will get the final crack at Duckworth with the program landing his last official visit.

He will be in Oxford during the weekend of June 20 for a multi-day stay with Kiffin and the Rebels.

He also plans on visiting Georgia (May 30), South Carolina (June 6) and Florida State (June 13) and Ole Miss (June 20), but the North Carolina Tar Heels are also picking up steam.

“There are some other schools I am looking at, but Ole Miss, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida State are the main schools I am focused on right now,” Duckworth told On3’s Chad Simmons last month. “All of those are talking to me a lot, they want me to visit in the spring and I am planning to take official visits to all four.”

Duckworth has now trimmed his list to five schools: Ole Miss, Florida State, South Carolina, Auburn and North Carolina.

🏡? https://t.co/7B8Gm4Z8lA
— Landon “DUCK🦆” Duckworth (@LandonDuckworth) May 8, 2025

The Rebels remain a program at the top of the Top-10 quarterback's list heading into the summer months.

Is there a timeline in place for Duckworth as he begins narrowing in on the contenders in his recruitment process?

“If I am ready to commit before the season, I want to, but if not, I will wait,” Duckworth said. “What’s important to me is the atmosphere at the school, the way the coaches treat me, how the offensive is and the background of the coaches and their development.”

Now, the Ole Miss Rebels are beginning to separate themselves from the pack for the prized quarterback, according to On3 Sports.

Kiffin's crew currently sits in 'a strong position' for the priority target with the program holding a Top-15 Recruiting Class in the 2026 cycle.

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.