The Ole Miss Football Transfer Portal Recap: Pete Golding Lands Multiple Commitments

Golding and Co. secure commitments from nearly a handful of transfers over the weekend, hitting the ground running in the portal.

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart pose for pictures during a press conference for the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, La., on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels are scorching hot in the NCAA Transfer Portal market with the program landing four commitments via the free agent market across a 24-hour stretch over the weekend.

Once the portal window opened on Friday, the Ole Miss staff wasted no time in getting the top targets over to Oxford for official visits with the program hitting the ground running.

Golding and Co. brought in over a handful of visitors to check out campus where the Rebels now exit the first weekend of the Transfer Portal with four new commitments along with multiple targets now trending the program's way.

Who's in for the Ole Miss Rebels coming out of the first weekend of the portal window?

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

The Commitments: Portal Edition

No. 1: CB Jay Crawford - No. 2 CB in Transfer Portal

Crawford checks in as the No. 2 rated cornerback in the market with the Rebels wasting no time in securing his services after getting him in for a visit on Saturday.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder is coming off of a strong sophomore campaign on The Plains where he logged four pass breakups and an interception to go along with 13 total tackles with Auburn.

Across two seasons, Crawford totaled 11 passes defended and a pair of interceptions where he carved out a role as a critical component in the defensive backfield.

He would end up starting in 18 games, with the accolades galore coming his way during his time with the program - mainly during his true freshman campaign - earning SEC All-Freshman and On3 True Freshman All-American honors.

But once a coaching change occurred at Auburn, the talented cornerback elected to hit the free agent market with Ole Miss swooping in to land his services.

Sep 13, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers cornerback Jay Crawford (23) scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the South Alabama Jaguars at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

No. 2: LB Keaton Thomas - Top-20 Linebacker in Portal

Thomas checks in as a Top-20 linebacker in the NCAA Transfer Portal with Golding and Co. quickly striking in order to land a pledge from the productive second-level defender.

After starting his career at Northeast Mississippi Community College, Thomas made the move to Waco where he spent a pair of seasons with the Baylor Bears - stuffing the stat sheet across his time with the program.

Thomas was one tackle shy of reaching 100 in back-to-back seasons where he finished with 99 across the 2025 season, while adding a sack, three pass breakups, and an interception.

The strong 2025 campaign led Thomas to be named to the All-Big 12 second team where Golding and Co. reel in a highly-productive piece to the defense at a position of need for the 2026 season.

No. 3: EDGE Jonathan Maldonado - Nevada

Maldonado entered the free agent market with a myriad of programs in pursuit, but it's Golding sealing the deal 48 hours after the Transfer Portal market opened for the productive defender.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder is coming off of a 2025 season where he totaled 38 tackles, nine tackles for loss to go along with five sacks for his Wolfpack crew.

Maldonado's Pro Football Focus grades stick out after finishing with an 85.8 pass rush grade in 2025 and an overall defensive grade of 79.5. Both of those numbers put him among the top-five on the Ole Miss roster across the 2025 season.

Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels are scorching hot in the NCAA Transfer Portal with the program now landing a commitment from Nevada standout edge rusher Jonathan Maldonado.

The standout EDGE will make his way to the Magnolia State.

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— Ole Miss Rebels On SI (@OleMissOnSI) January 4, 2026

No. 4: DB Sharif Denson - Florida

The experienced safety has plenty of SEC experience across his three seasons in Gainesville where he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team as well as a Freshman All-American by ESPN in 2023.

The Sunshine State native has been one of Florida's key contributors on defense after recording 168 tackles, 12 pass deflections, three interceptions, and one sack across three seasons after starting in 34 consecutive games for the Gators.

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