The Grove Report

Ole Miss Football Lands Commitment From No. 2 Rated Running Back in Alabama

Lane Kiffin and Co. add a commitment from the coveted running back, add to 2026 Recruiting Class.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of Ja'Michael Jones' X/Twitter: @MikeJones_21.
In this story:

Montgomery (Ala.) Pike Road three-star running back Ja'Michael Jones has committed to Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels, he revealed via social media on Sunday afternoon.

Jones, a 5-foot-10, 190-pounder with a myriad of schools pursuing his services, reveals his pledge to the Rebels fresh off of a weekend visit to Oxford.

The impressive Alabama running back recently revealed Ole Miss in his final eight schools alongside Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee as the finalists.

Just one week later, Jones has shut down his process and revealed a verbal commitment to the Rebels.

Jones has received over 30 offers during his prep career with Kiffin's crew now making the move for one of the top running backs in the South.

The goal was for Jones to make his way down to Oxford this month as he looks to get a closer look into the Rebels and Kiffin's program. This weekend, he did just that.

“They make football a business that seems very fun to be in,” Jones said of Ole Miss when speaking to OM Spirit last year. “My relationship with them is very good. Kevin Smith was the first coach to give me an offer. Ever since then, we have been very close.”

The Rebels are quickly beginning to make noise on the recruiting trail this spring with a myriad of priority prospects making their way to Oxford for unofficial visits.

One Priority Target: JaReylan McCoy - DL

Tupelo (Miss.) four-star defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy has locked in five official visits for the summer as he begins evaluating the contenders in his recruitment.

McCoy, the No. 7 overall player in Mississippi, recently backed off of a commitment to the LSU Tigers after remaining committed to the program for roughly 30 days.

After pledging to Brian Kelly's program over the USC Trojans and Tennessee Volunteers at the time, McCoy is back on the market with a myriad of schools in his ear.

That includes Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Rebels.

The Top-100 recruit recently wrapped up an impressive junior campaign in 2024 where he received an invite to Orlando (Fla.) alongside America's elite prospects for the Under Armour All-American Game.

McCoy is a player multiple programs continue turning the heat up for after logging 120 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks across three seasons of high school ball.

Since the season's end, there have been a flurry of schools entering the mix with Ole Miss and LSU becoming two contenders, despite recently backing off of his pledge to the Tigers.

During the final weekend of January, McCoy took a trip over to Oxford for a visit with Kiffin and Co. despite remaining committed to the LSU Tigers at the time. It was one of two trips he took to visit with the Rebels prior to the NCAA Dead Period.

But he's keeping his options open despite the Ole Miss Rebels quickly becoming a school of interest.

McCoy is set to officially visit five different programs: LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn. Florida and Texas while also setting an unofficial visit schedule for the spring.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Quarterback Confident He's "The Best" QB in the 2025 NFL Draft

Top-10 Quarterback in America Locks in Ole Miss Visit

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels Confirm Spring Game Plans in April

Join the Community:

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

Published
Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Home/Recruiting