The Grove Report

No. 1 Lineman in Mississippi, Priority Ole Miss Football Target Commits to SEC Rival

Lane Kiffin and Co. see the Magnolia State prospect pledge to an SEC foe, goes public with a decision.
Zack Nagy|
Courtesy of Emanuel Tucker's X/Twitter.

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Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels had their sights set on New Albany (Miss.) four-star offensive tackle Emanuel Tucker in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle down the stretch of his process.

Tucker, the No. 1 rated offensive tackle in the Magnolia State, recently reopened his recruitment after backing off of a pledge to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

But the 6-foot-7, 285-pounder wasted no time in his process after hitting the recruiting trail with force in June.

Tucker took official visits to both the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers where he quickly narrowed his focus on the pair of Southeastern Conference schools.

The Top-10 overall prospect in Mississippi, and Top-15 offensive tackle in America, had Kiffin's program firmly in the mix down the stretch in his process.

“It was great,” Tucker told On3 Sports about his visit to Ole Miss. “My favorite thing was how they ran their offense. It’s something I’m really interested in and would love to be a part of.”

But Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers continue chipping away at Tucker during his process with the program ultimately getting the talented prospect down to Baton Rouge for an official visit last weekend.

Once in the Bayou State, Tucker felt at home with position coach Brad Davis rolling out the red carpet for his coveted target.

Now, Tucker has gone public with a commitment decision. The No. 1 offensive lineman in Mississippi has pledged to the LSU Tigers.

It's a significant miss for Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels after the program had significant momentum heading into the week.

Ole Miss will continue hitting the recruiting trail with force this offseason as the Rebels look to add onto their Top-20 Recruiting Class in America.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football Target, Top-10 Quarterback in America Earns Elite 11 Invite

Ole Miss Basketball Beats Out North Carolina Tar Heels, UCONN for Top-50 Prospect

Ole Miss Women's Basketball Lands in Early Top-25, Named 'Offseason Winners'

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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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