The Grove Report

Colorado Buffaloes, West Virginia Mountaineers Target Raves About Ole Miss Football

Lane Kiffin and Co. hosted the coveted tight end on an unofficial visit, raves about his time in Oxford.
Zack Nagy|
Courtesy of Jackson Ballinger's Instagram.

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Ole Miss Rebels

Centerburg (Ohio) tight end Jackson Ballinger is gearing up for a critical stretch on the recruiting trail this fall with multiple unofficial visits on the docket.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder has reeled in an impressive offer list with the likes of the Florida Gators, Colorado Buffaloes, West Virginia Mountaineers, and Washington Huskies, among several others, entering the race, but now he's beginning to evaluate contenders.

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels are also a program with a scholarship offer on the list with the coaching staff keeping tabs on the fast-rising prospect.

According to Rivals, Ballinger is preparing for an unofficial visit slate that will include the Ole Miss Rebels, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Florida Gators.

This past weekend, Ballinger checked the Ole Miss visit off the list after making his way to Oxford to see the program's season-opening win over the Georgia State Panthers.

Jackson Ballinger: Ole Miss Football.
Courtesy of Jackson Ballinger's Instagram.

Following the trip, he caught up with 247Sports and Rivals where he raved about his time in the Magnolia State.

Ole Miss rolled out the red carpet for the talented Ohio native as his recruitment process heats up, but there is still more to come for the gifted pass catcher.

With one visit down, Ballinger is still in line to take visits to Ohio State and Florida moving forward as he evaluates the contenders in his process.

Ballinger has seen multiple schools intensify their pursuits after taking multiple unofficial visits over the summer as well.

The talented tight end checked in with the Vanderbilt Commodores and Duke Blue Devils this offseason where he broke down his time at each program.

"Coach Flaherty and Coach Lepak were very welcoming and encouraging. Practice was shorter because of their upcoming scrimmage so it was mostly team periods," Ballinger told 247Sports of his time at Vanderilt.

"Vanderbilt players got after each other in a positive way and competed physically. The program is on the rise for sure."

Ole Miss Rebels Football.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

He also took a trip over to Duke with an opportunity to visit the program's campus and more.

"Duke's campus was beautiful," he told 247Sports. "Listing to Coach Diaz and his staff talk made me feel like I was in a true football environment. All the guys wanted each other to succeed and you could tell by the way they competed."

Now, with the season arriving, Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels remain in pursuit of the coveted tight end in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with the program a team to watch.

More Ole Miss News:

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The Preseason Coaches Poll Ranking: Ole Miss Football Comes in at No. 15

What It Means: Ole Miss Football Beats Out Michigan Wolverines for Coveted Linebacker

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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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