Ole Miss Football, Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Target Sees Meteoric Rise in Rankings

Pete Golding and Co. are battling for the dynamic Alabama prospect, multiple schools keeping tabs amid historic rise.

Courtesy of CJ Craig-Jones via X.

Birmingham (Ala.) safety CJ Craig-James has enjoyed a meteoric rise this offseason with Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels battling for the talented defensive back amid a chaotic offseason.

Craig-James has flown under-the-radar across his first two seasons of high school football, but he's become one of the fastest-rising safeties in the 2028 Recruiting Cycle.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder has now earned offers from the likes of the Ole Miss Rebels, Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Florida Gators, Kentucky Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies, and Colorado Buffaloes, among several others, across the last few weeks.

Ole Miss and Oregon quickly dished out offers on March 4 with Kentucky and Texas A&M following amid a significant day in Craig-James' process.

From there, new scholarships rolled in from the likes of the Auburn Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, and Alabama Crimson Tide.

Once the hometown Crimson Tide dished out an offer, Kalen DeBoer and Co. got Craig-James down to campus immediately for a Spring Camp practice.

Blessed to be rated a 4⭐️ by @Rivals 🙏🏾 @SWiltfong_ @ChadSimmons_ @samspiegs pic.twitter.com/jhwvgtzGd6

— CJ Craig-James (@CJ2Sports2028) March 23, 2026

The coveted defensive back has also locked in a spring visit schedule with multiple unofficial trips locked in, according to his social media:

- Vanderbilt Commodores: March 14
- Mississippi State Bulldogs: March 24
- Vanderbilt Commodores: March 26
- Florida Gators: March 28
- South Carolina Gamecocks: April 4
- Georgia Bulldogs: April 11
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: April 12

With schools galore in the race, Craig-James has also seen his recruiting ranking rise in the recent Rivals update - surging to a Top-100 player in the 2028 Recruiting Cycle and Top-10 safety.

For the Ole Miss Rebels, Pete Golding and Co. will now look to get the coveted defender to Oxford this offseason as he prepares to check-in with multiple SEC schools.

Craig-James has become one of the most popular names on the market in the 2028 Recruiting Cycle with Ole Miss keeping tabs on multiple defensive weapons in the rising-junior class.

Now, all eyes are on his offseason with schools joining the race amid a pivotal stretch in his recruitment ahead of his junior campaign.

More Ole Miss News:

Georgia Bulldogs, Indiana Hoosiers Pushing to Flip Nation's No. 4 QB From Ole Miss

The SEC Tournament Bracket: Ole Miss Basketball Eyeing Upset Win Over Texas Longhorns

Ole Miss Football Recruiting Buzz: Rebels Poised for Massive Run of Commitments

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