Ole Miss Football and Texas Longhorns Emerge as New Contenders for Top Wide Receiver

Pete Golding and Co. are making their presence felt on the recruiting trail, battling for an elite pass-catcher committed elsewhere.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Humble (Tex.) Summer Creek four-star wide receiver Benny Easter Jr. has blossomed into one of America's top pass-catchers with Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels emerging as contenders in his recruitment.

Easter Jr. checks in as the No. 5 rated wideout in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with schools galore entering the race in his process across the last handful of months.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder has earned scholarships from the likes of the Ole Miss Rebels, Texas Longhorns, LSU Tigers, and Texas Tech Red Raiders, among several others, across his time on the prep scene in the Lone Star State.

But it's head coach Joey McGuire and the Texas Tech Red Raiders that hold the verbal commitment as it currently stands after popping to the hometown program last November following time in Lubbock.

Now, Easter Jr. sits as one of the top wide receivers committed in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with the Texas Tech coaching staff looking to hold on.

"Texas Tech has some serious recruiting momentum and that helped it land Easter Jr. on Nov. 20. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder plays for one of the top high school football programs in Texas and tallied over 1,000 receiving yards as a junior this fall," Rivals wrote of Easter Jr.

"Easter is also the No. 5 WR in the Rivals300 and one of four blue-chippers pledged to the Red Raiders so far in the cycle."

New contenders have emerged for elite Texas Tech WR commit Benny Easter Jr., @samspiegs reports👀

Easter has locked in two official visits…

Intel: https://t.co/VB6Q8bXSly pic.twitter.com/VGoxQpBxoa

— Rivals (@Rivals) February 16, 2026

Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels are fighting for his services this offseason with the program emerging as new contenders, according to Rivals, alongside other powerhouse Southeastern Conference schools.

Along with Ole Miss, it's the LSU Tigers, Texas Longhorns, and Vanderbilt Commodores - along with the Ohio State Buckeyes - as the new schools to watch in Easter Jr.'s recruitment.

It's Texas Tech that has the momentum with a verbal commitment locked in, but it isn't slowing down the likes of Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels coaching staff from battling until the buzzer.

Now, all eyes are on Easter Jr. with a pivotal stretch in his recruitment set to take shape across the next handful of months with programs fighting for his services.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football Targeting No. 1 Prospect on Georgia Bulldogs Board Amid Strong Push

Ole Miss Football and Texas Longhorns Pushing to Flip Coveted WR Committed to SEC Foe

Join the Community:

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