Ole Miss Football Emerging as Favorite for Prized Ex-Michigan Wolverines Commit

Chicago (Ill.) Morgan Park four-star safety Darrell Mattison is back on the market after reopening his recruitment this week following the decision to decommit from the Michigan Wolverines program.

Mattison checks in as a Top-25 rated safety in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with programs galore fighting for his service, and after backing off of his pledge to Michigan, has become an even hotter commity on the trail this offseason.

The 6-foot, 160-pounder out of Illinois verbally committed to the Wolverines in March over the likes of the Penn State Nittany Lions, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Washington Huskies, among several others, but he has now hit the reset button on his process.

Evaluators have raved about Mattison - a former wide receiver - as he continues evolving as a defensive back ahead of his senior campaign with his recuritment now open once again.

“He is a former wide receiver who brings those ball skills to the defensive side of the ball. A rangy, instinctive prospect who can be a center-fielder and take away the middle of the field. He has no verified speed times but shows closing ability to the ball, is fluid and changes direction well," Rivals wrote.

BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Darrell Mattison has Decommitted from Michigan, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’2 160 S from Chicago, IL had been Committed to the Wolverines since March 24thhttps://t.co/k8r7t6CvSG pic.twitter.com/YGo2qjAitm
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 28, 2026

"Mattison is a willing tackler and plays with some physicality but needs to add weight and get stronger. He makes a lot of plays, gets his hands on a lot of passes, and should be high-level starting free safety type with some room for moving around in college.”

Ole Miss brought in Mattison on an unofficial visit this past week with Pete Golding and the Ole Miss coaching staff looking to make a splash in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle - eyeing a flip of the ex-Michigan Wolverines commit.

Now, with Mattison reopening his process - backing off of a commitment to the Michigan Wolverines - sources have circled the Ole Miss Rebels as the program in the driver's seat for the coveted defensive back that has emerged as a household name on the recruiting trail.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football, Florida Gators, Arkansas Razorbacks Among Contenders for Elite WR

Ole Miss Rebels, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish Battling for Top WR

Ole Miss Football Wide Receiver Reveals Definitive Statement on Remaining With Rebels

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