Ole Miss Football Flips Coveted UCF Knights Defensive Lineman, Reveals Rebels Pledge

Lane Kiffin and Co. earn a commitment from the Magnolia State star, flips pledge to the Ole Miss Rebels.

Courtesy of Jayden Curtis' Instagram.

Ocean Springs (Miss.) St. Martin defensive lineman Jayden Curtis has flipped his commitment from the UCF Knights to Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels, he revealed via social media on Monday.

Curtis, who's quickly emerged as a talented under-the-radar prospect in the Magnolia State, remained a prized target for Kiffin and Co. after turning up the heat during the offseason.

The Mississippi native made his way up to Oxford in June to compete in the program's offensive line/defensive line camp without an offer in-hand, but after a strong performance, received a scholarship from the hometown program.

“It means a lot for me,” Curtis told Rivals when he picked up the offer. “My dad played basketball at Ole Miss. It’s close to home. Five minutes away from my grandma’s house, it’s nice. It definitely makes a big impact.”

Courtesy of Jayden Curtis' Instagram.

But the Ole Miss legacy eventually revealed a commitment to the UCF Knights during the offseason with the Rebels missing out on his initial pledge.

Despite a commitment elsewhere, defensive line coach Randall Joyner continued chipping away at the fast-rising prospect with the program picking up momentum last week.

It started with an unofficial visit to campus over the summer where he picked up an offer from Ole Miss with the coaching staff circling Curtis as a priority in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle.

“Locked in and ready 🏠🦈, #RebelNation! 🔴🔵 #StayInTheSip #HottyToddy" #Committed@CoachGolding @LetsGo_Bo5 @Lane_Kiffin @LoganThornburgh @Rebels247 @BillyEmbody @247Sports @Rivals @CoachAdamsMGCCC @tlala2 @StMartinFB @CoachDecoteau_ @KurtisMyers555 pic.twitter.com/O0l6Bah6KD

— Jayden Curtis⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@JayCurtis2008) September 8, 2025

“I liked everything about it. Just competed with the other kids there and our group was the Powder group, we just competed today,” Curtis said. “He showed us how he wants things done.

"He coached us how he coaches his kids. He expected it at a high expectation. He wanted us to perform very well and give it our all. I like everything about it. He’s taking it slowly. He just wants us to give it our full every play.”

Now, the 6-foot-3, 260-pounder has revealed his commitment to the Ole Miss Rebels with the program pulling off a pair of flips across the last four days.

Courtesy of Jared Curtis' X/Twitter: @JayCurtis2008.

On Friday, the program received a commitment from New Albany (Miss.) four-star offensive lineman Emanuel Tucker after he flipped his pledge from the LSU Tigers.

Tucker, the No. 1 offensive lineman in Mississippi, flips his pledge to the hometown program after being committed to Brian Kelly and the Tigers since early June.

The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder was in Oxford last weekend for an unofficial visit with the program where Kiffin and Co. rolled out the red carpet for their priority prospect.

“My favorite thing was how they ran their offense,” Tucker told Rivals summer. “It’s something I’m really interested in and would love to be a part of.”

Courtesy of Emanuel Tucker's X/Twitter.

Tucker comes in as a Top-10 overall prospect in the Magnolia State with the Rebels chipping away over the summer in order to add him to the 2026 Recruiting Class.

Now, he joins a talented haul for Ole Miss in the cycle with multiple blue-chip prospects committed to Kiffin's program heading into a critical fall stretch.

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