What It Means: Ole Miss Football Beats Out Michigan, Texas A&M and Georgia for Safety

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels reeled in a verbal commitment from College Park (Ga.) Buford four-star safety Nascar McCoy on Friday after going public with a decision.

McCoy, a Top-50 safety in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle, chose the Rebels over the Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Texas A&M Aggies and Miami Hurricanes down the stretch in his process.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Peach State native reeled in an impressive offer list across his prep career, but it's Kiffin and Co. ultimately winning out for his services after pushing all the right buttons.

What led McCoy to the decision? How did Ole Miss separate from the pack down the stretch to add the coveted Georgia safety?

“Ole Miss really made a later move for me,” McCoy told Rivals. “They have always recruited me and they recruited me hard, so after the official visit, they moved up a lot for me.

"Oxford is a great place with great people and it is a small town like Buford. It reminds me of home. Oxford is a small town, it is a loving place and it just feels right for me.”

News: College Park (Ga.) Buford four-star safety Nascar McCoy has committed to Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels, he revealed via social media.

Kiffin and Co. add the coveted Peach State defensive back to the program's 2026 haul.

More on McCoy: https://t.co/C07yj2vKC1 pic.twitter.com/GLzpCW1yKw
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McCoy took an official visit to Oxford in June with the program rolling out the red carpet for the highly-touted prospect.

After spending one-on-one time with the coaching staff, navigating a tour around campus, evaluating the facilities and working through a photoshoot in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, McCoy ultimately made the move.

“Coach Neighbors is a great coach. He knows safeties, he knows SEC football and we have a great relationship. Coach Golding is the mastermind behind the Ole Miss defense. He coached under Nick Saban, he is very smart and I love the scheme," McCoy said.

"Coach Kiffin and I have a great relationship. We have talked about a lot of things, we play pickleball when I am down there and he is an exciting head coach to play for.”

McCoy also feels the fit is what can help him reach the next level with versatility in the defensive backfield playing a pivotal role in his decision.

“I feel like I fit pretty well. Ole Miss does a lot with their safeties being versatile,” McCoy said. “They love their safeties to come in versatile. When a player like me, they say like, you can play this position, this position, that position.

"It just helps you get to the end goal, right? Being a versatile safety is a high looked at safety and I just want to get to my top goal.”

“Ole Miss is not a school where they contact you a lot or anything,” he added. “I just heard a lot of reviews from other kids, but like they’ve definitely got on their horse to where I know that I’m a top priority for them and I’m a guy that they really need and want.”

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