Ole Miss Football Targeting Pair of Former Commits for Massive Visits to Oxford

Pete Golding and Co. will host two ex-Rebels commitments this offseason, looking to reclaim their pledges.

Courtesy of Ben'Jarvius Shumaker on X.

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels are casting a wide net in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with the program targeting a myriad of blue-chippers for next year's class.

Once Golding took over as the new shot-caller in Oxford, the program didn't skip a beat on the recruiting trail with the Rebels inking the No. 2 rated Transfer Portal Class in America with multiple game-changing additions.

"The locker room is so fragile, as we all know," Walker Jones, the executive director of the Grove Collective, said to ESPN. "This is the ultimate team sport, and there's no bigger team sport than football [with] so many personalities, so many moving parts.

"You had to hire the guy that can keep the locker room and the coaching staff in sync. It was such a unique situation, first of its kind. There's no blueprint for it."

Now, with Golding at the helm keeping the program together, the Rebels are now targeting a pair of former Ole Miss Rebels commitments. What's the buzz?

No. 1: OL Li'Marcus Jones - Top-25 OL in America

Jackson (Miss.) Calloway High four-star offensive lineman Li'Marcus Jones has locked in an official visit to Oxford as Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels keep a foot on the gas for the in-state star.

Jones checks in as a Top-25 rated offensive lineman in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle with schools from coast-to-coast battling for his commitment after reopening his process last summer.

The highly-touted prospect revealed a commitment to the Ole Miss Rebels on March 29 of last year, but backed off of his pledge less than a handful of months later as he reevaluated options amid a strong junior campaign.

Courtesy of Li'Marcus Jones X/Twitter: @limarcusjones24.

"After careful consideration and talks with my family, I have decided to re-open my recruitment. I have great respect for the Ole Miss coaching staff, the program, and the opportunities they presented to me, but l feel it’s in my best interest to REOPEN my recruitment 100%," Jones wrote via X.

In an interview with 247Sports, Johnson revealed his reasoning behind the decision.

"I decommitted because I felt like I committed too early," Jones told 247Sports. "I wanted to get to know the coaches better. I wanted to see how Ole Miss is as a family and culturally."

Now, the 6-foot-5, 285-pounder has reeled in offers from the likes of the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies, Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and Tennessee Volunteers, among others, while handling business on the prep scene.

No. 2: S Trae Collins

Ridgeland (Miss.) safety Trae Collins backed off of his commitment to Ole Miss last fall after Lane Kiffin's made his move to LSU, but it hasn't stopped the new-look Rebels staff from battling for his services.

Collins, a four-star safety in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle, has emerged as one of the top prospects in Mississippi across his time on the prep scene with a myriad of schools entering the race.

"Ole Miss, I want to thank you and your staff for the opportunity to be a part of your program and for believing in me throughout the recruiting process," Collins wrote via X upon his decision to reopen his recruitment.

"After careful consideration, I’ve decided to decommit and reopen my recruitment to explore other opportunities that I feel are the best fit for my future, both academically and athletically. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me and wish the team success moving forward."

The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder is back on the market, but quickly revealed a top-five schools with Ole Miss remaining in contention one week after his decision.

Ole Miss joins the Michigan Wolverines, SMU Mustangs, Missouri Tigers, and North Carolina State Wolfpack as the five programs battling for his commitment.

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