How Ole Miss Football Sits in Rare Territory Alongside Oklahoma Sooners, USC Trojans

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels are cruising in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle this offseason with the program flaunting a Top-10 class in America amid a red-hot start.

In what has become a pivotal offseason for the Rebels coaching staff, Golding and Co. have brought in multiple players for unofficial visits with several targets now sitting on "commitment watch."

Ole Miss currently holds four pledges in the 2027 cycle headlined by four-star quarterback Keegan Croucher, the No. 4 rated signal-caller in America, but the staff also added a four-star gem in March.

Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County four-star defensive lineman Ben'Jarvius Shumaker announced his decision to shut things down and go public with an Ole Miss pledge last month after an offseason visit up to Oxford.

Shumaker checks in as a Top-50 prospect in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle and the No. 5 rated defensive lineman in America with programs from coast-to-coast fighting for his services where Ole Miss ultimately won out.

“First, I want to Thank God, my family, and my coaches for believing in me and supporting me through this journey. With that being said, I’m blessed to announce that I have committed to Ole Miss,” he wrote via X announcing his decision.

Now, the commitment puts the Ole Miss Rebels in rare territory with one of the top pledges of March, according to Rivals, joining the likes of the Texas A&M Aggies, USC Trojans, and USC Trojans as programs to generate buzz.

Top commitments in the month of March🌟

Read: https://t.co/ltB9uIhZOh pic.twitter.com/tzImcfX0Al
— Rivals (@Rivals) April 2, 2026

The 6-foot-6, 260-pounder has surged up the recruiting rankings this offseason with all eyes on his growth heading into his senior campaign.

"Shumaker is on the short list when talking about the top interior defensive lineman in the country. Had a big junior season, totaling 69 tackles 17 for loss, 7 sacks and two forced fumbles. Very strong, especially in his lower half and can take on double teams and still get a push," Rivals wrote of Shumaker.

"Gets off the ball well, shows an active motor and lives on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Can win with speed and power and has the ability to dominate at the point of attack.

"Plays high at times and will need some technical work like most high school interior lineman but very high ceiling and projects as a high impact player at the Power 4 level."

More Ole Miss News:

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Ole Miss Football Recruiting Buzz: Rebels Poised for Massive Run of Commitments

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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.