Ole Miss Football Offers Notre Dame Fighting Irish, USC Trojans Defensive Line Target

Lane Kiffin and Co. extend an offer to the highly-touted prospect, No. 1 defensive lineman in the 2028 cycle.

Courtesy of Marcus Fakatou's Instagram.

Fontana (Calif.) Orange Lutheran four-star defensive lineman Marcus Fakatou comes in as the No. 1 rated prospect at his position in the 2028 Recruiting Cycle.

Fakatou, a top-five overall recruit in America, has emerged as one of the most coveted prospects on the recruiting scene this offseason after a dominant freshman campaign in 2024.

The 6-foot-7, 260-pounder is a menace in the trenches where he took the nation by storm during his first season of high school ball.

Now, the "Who's Who" of college football are entering the race for Fakatou with a myriad of offers on the table.

Fakatou has earned scholarships from the likes of the USC Trojans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Oklahoma Sooners, Michigan Wolverines, and Ohio State Buckeyes, among several others, as his rise continues.

Courtesy of Marcus Fakatou's Instagram.

Now, Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have entered the mix for the No. 1 defensive lineman in the 2028 Recruiting Cycle after dishing out an offer on Thursday.

Blessed AGTG!! 🙌🏽 Humbled to receive an offer from the University of Mississippi! #HottyToddy@OleMissFB @Lane_Kiffin @jdhess7 @OLuFootball @ChrisWardOL @GregBiggins @BrandonHuffman @ChadSimmons_ @K12Elite @PGregorian @adamgorney @TheUCReport pic.twitter.com/hkZfkUTZPP

— Marcus Fakatou 🇹🇴 (@MarcusFakatou) August 21, 2025

During his freshman campaign, the monster of a defensive lineman recorded 28 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and five sacks.

Now, all eyes are on the jump he makes heading into his second season of prep ball with programs from coast-to-coast keeping tabs on the top-ranked prospect.

For Kiffin and the Rebels, the program has been active on the recruiting trail in both the 2027 and 2028 cycles as they prepare for the future.

The New Offer: Jalaythan Mayfield

Lincolnton (N.C.) four-star linebacker Jalaythan Mayfield has emerged as one of the top prospects in America as his rise continues heading into the fall.

Mayfield, a top-five linebacker in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle, has reeled in offers from the top programs in the nation with multiple Southeastern Conference programs in pursuit.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder has earned scholarships from the likes of the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Tennessee Volunteers, and Florida Gators across his time on the prep scene.

Courtesy of Jalaythan Mayfield's Instagram.

Mayfield has also seen the Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions and North Carolina Tar Heels emerge as schools in the race.

Now, fast forward to this week and the Ole Miss Rebels are now the mix for the highly-touted North Carolina linebacker.

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The Preseason Coaches Poll Ranking: Ole Miss Football Comes in at No. 15

What It Means: Ole Miss Football Beats Out Michigan Wolverines for Coveted Linebacker

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