Ole Miss Football 'Pushing Right Buttons' for Texas Longhorns, Oregon Ducks Target

Lane Kiffin and Co. are making the Missouri native feel like a priority, pushing the right buttons early.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

St. Louis (Mo.) De Smet four-star tight end Ridge Janes made his way to Oxford last weekend for a visit with Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels for the program's SEC clash against LSU.

Janes, a top-five tight end in the 2028 Recruiting Cycle, has seen his recruitment explode over the last handful of months with the top programs in America getting in on the action.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Missouri native has earned offers from the likes of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Texas Longhorns, Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks, and Tennessee Volunteers, among several others.

Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels are pushing the right buttons early with the program in the Magnolia State rolling out the red carpet for a Week 5 visit.

Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Dae'Quan Wright (8) reacts after a touchdown during the first quarter against the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Janes caught up with 247Sports' Tom Loy where he revealed he feels like a "top priority" in the 2028 Recruiting Cycle for the Southeastern Conference program.

The highly-touted tight end was alongside a myriad of the top targets for Ole Miss where the Rebels took down the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium last Saturday.

Among the top targets in attendance was the No. 1 quarterback on the program's board making his way to town.

Thank you @OleMissFB and @Lane_Kiffin @CoachJoeCox @CoachSchoonie for an awesome gameday visit! @RebelsFBRec @BillyEmbody @JHMerrittJr @CoachPoe1914 @drMcLaughlin42 pic.twitter.com/ASekbH3VPq

— Ridge Janes (@RidgeJanes) September 28, 2025

Cheshire (Conn.) four-star quarterback Keegan Croucher hopped on a flight and made his return trip to Oxford this past weekend for an unofficial visit with Kiffin and Co.

The Top-10 signal-caller in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle traveled to the Magnolia State for a multi-day stay where he was on-hand for Ole Miss' top-five win over LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Heading into the weekend visit, the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder circled the Ole Miss program as a contender in his process with Kiffin and Co. pushing the right buttons in his recruitment.

As it currently stands, Croucher is down to the Ole Miss Rebels, Oregon Ducks and Penn State Nittany Lions with the trio of elite programs piquing his interest after summer trips on campus.

Now, it's the Ole Miss program that is beginning to make noise in Croucher's process after a productive trip back to Oxford.

Courtesy of Keegan Croucher's Instagram.

After a weekend stay in the Magnolia State where Croucher remained in town through Sunday, a source told Ole Miss Rebels On SI, the program is picking up steam.

Fast forward to Tuesday morning and the Ole Miss Rebels are now viewed as the favorites with Rivals' Steve Wiltfong logging a prediction in favor of Kiffin's program to win out in the Croucher sweepstakes.

Ole Miss continues chipping away at multiple prospects on the program's radar in the 2026, 2027 and 2028 Recruiting Cycles.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin Reacts to Oklahoma Sooners as Annual SEC Rival

Ole Miss Football Commit, Ex-Michigan Wolverines Pledge Shuts Down Recruitment

Alabama Head Coach Betting Odds: Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin Listed as a Favorite

Join the Community:

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