Ole Miss in Position to Bolster Trenches on National Signing Day
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The National Signing Day week party has already started for Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels relative to the end of the 2023 recruiting cycle.
After a weekend official visit, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood pass-rusher and basketball star Chamberlain Campbell went public with his verbal commitment to the Rebels on Tuesday morning. The 6-foot-5, lengthy prospect was a late riser in the recruiting world, collecting offers during his senior campaign for the Spartans, with Ole Miss joining the offer party mid season.
Though there was recently buzz for other programs, most notably in-state Miami, the Rebels secured the final official visit and clearly made a strong impression along the way en route to the decision on signing day eve.
But Campbell wasn’t the only official visitor, as he was joined by fellow Floridian pass rusher DeeJay Holmes as well as Maryland offensive tackle recruit Chimdy Onoh. Just before the thick of those weekend trips, in-state interior defensive lineman Jonathan Davis also took in Oxford just days before finalizing the recruiting process. Can more big fish, literally and figuratively, jump in the Rebel boat?
Holmes is where the discussion needs to turn next. He told The Grove Report on Tuesday that he has come to an initial private decision on his collegiate destination, but won’t go public with the pick until his ceremony at Pahokee (Fla.) High School on Wednesday. Fresh off of the trip to Oxford, where he highlighted time with Kiffin and new defensive coordinator Pete Golding, one would imagine the timing plays well for the SEC West program involved. Holmes, over the weekend, said Colorado, Cincinnati, UCF and USF were also still under consideration.
When asked how he came to make the final call between the handful of options across the country, most of which he has already visited, Holmes said it was about “family atmosphere” above most other factors.
Davis has some classic Magnolia State prospect labels to his recruitment despite a late rise. Not only did he visit Ole Miss on the front end of the weekend, but he was in Starkville for a closer look at rival Mississippi State to wrap up his busy visit slate. Texas, the other finalist, did not manage to get a visit from Davis but he has told multiple outlets the Longhorns remain under consideration ahead of Wednesday’s decision.
Capitalizing on a strong senior season at Monticello (Miss.) Lawrence County, the 300-pounder was selected to the Bernard Blackwell Classic roster as a result. Now, with no disrespect to Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns, this is an old fashioned Egg Bowl battle with reasons for confidence on both the Ole Miss and MSU fronts.
Speaking of stellar senior campaigns, Onoh’s rise has made national recruiting headlines. Considering he was committed to Old Dominion mere weeks ago, it reemphasizes the point around the basketball prospect who has quickly developed into a coveted offensive tackle. It's to the point Onoh will play Big Ten or SEC football in college, as he's slated to pick between Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan State and Rutgers. Each program has hosted him for an official visit in the last six weeks or so.
Going into the New Year, the Onoh recruitment was presented relatively wide open -- a tone that has changed in January with Penn State and Michigan State garnering the most buzz. But with familiarity with new offensive line coach John Garrison, who had been keeping tabs on Onoh while at NC State, the Rebels have a puncher's chance ahead of the Wednesday afternoon decision.
The Grove Report will have full coverage of National Signing Day.
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