The Grove Report

Ole Miss Football Transfer Portal Target Reveals Commitment Decision to SEC Foe

Lane Kiffin and the Rebels remain active in the portal market, see a talented defensive lineman make a decision.
Zack Nagy|
Courtesy of Bernard Gooden's Instagram.

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Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels remain on the prowl for the top talent in the NCAA Transfer Portal as the program looks to retool the roster in Oxford.

After adding multiple newcomers during the winter window, Kiffin and Co. have now hit the ground running in the spring portal window as well.

Ole Miss was recently linked to the No. 1 available player in the Transfer Portal: South Florida defensive lineman Bernard Gooden.

An All-AAC Honorable Mention selection in 2024, Gooden logged 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks during the 2024 season with USF.

The talented defensive lineman officially placed his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal this week and has hit the ground running in his recruitment process.

Gooden took a multi-day trip to Baton Rouge this weekend with a visit to the LSU Tigers getting wrapped up on Saturday, sources tell Ole Miss Rebels On SI.

From there, the plan was for Gooden to make his way to Oxford for an official visit with the Ole Miss Rebels.

But after a trip to Baton Rouge with Brian Kelly and the Tigers, Gooden made the decision to shut down his recruitment process and commit to LSU.

Despite Gooden popping elsewhere, the Rebels remain linked to the No. 1 safety in the NCAA Transfer Portal with buzz continuing to circulate regarding the talented defensive back.

The Target: Houston's AJ Haulcy

The defensive backfield remains a slot that the program will attack the Transfer Portal for.

“A lot of work to do in the secondary,” Kiffin said during Spring Camp. “There’s so many new pieces. Even though there were new pieces last year, they had played a lot.

"You’d seen them start in the SEC, a lot of returning guys. Right now, I feel there’s a lot of guys in new schemes here, especially the back seven defensively, that need to get used to that.

“So we do a lot of reps and a lot of different situations to continue to expose guys to that so we can evaluate them.”

Now, the Rebels have been linked to the No. 1 safety available in the NCAA Transfer Portal: Houston's AJ Haulcy.

The 6-foot, 215-pounder totaled 74 tackles, five interceptions and 13 pass breakups during the 2024 season with the Cougars on his way to First Team All-Big 12 honors.

He's quickly emerged as one of the top prospects available with Ole Miss now set to battle against the Miami Hurricanes for his services.

According to multiple reports, Haulcy visited the Hurricanes on Wednesday for a visit to the Sunshine State.

Fast forward to Thursday and the Ole Miss Rebels staff took a trip to Houston to visit with Haulcy in person, according to 247Sports' Matt Zenitz.

It's a significant development with Kiffin and Co. now looking to enter the "Haulcy Sweepstakes" with multiple potential suitors.

More Ole Miss News:

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Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels Confirm Spring Game Plans in April

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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.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Ole Miss Rebels On SI, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Rebel Football, Baseball, Basketball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving Ole Miss athletics. Nagy has covered the Southeastern Conference for over half a decade after being born and raised in New Orleans (La.).

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