Coach Luke and the Rebels are Rolling on the Recruiting Trail

Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke and his staff have locked up 15 commitments in the month of June, pushing the Rebels’ 2020 class to No. 14 nationally.

OXFORD, Miss. — Watch out, folks! The Rebels are rolling in June! In the 2020 recruiting cycle, Matt Luke and his staff are sitting pretty with 20 commitments as of June 26th according to 247Sports.

A little over three weeks ago, that number was only five. However, after an outstanding month of June, Ole Miss is sitting with the 14th-best recruiting class in the nation, ahead of schools like Mississippi State, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida State, Penn State, and Texas. Click here for the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings.

#HottyToddy recruiting well again this year. #OleMiss

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) June 24, 2019

Let’s take a look at what has transpired for the Rebels in the month of June. Here are this month’s commits along with their 247Sports Composite Recruiting Ranking:

• June 3rd – 4-star DT Josaih Hayes commits. 6’3″ 296 lbs, from Horn Lake, MS. (91.93 composite)
• June 5th – 3-star ATH An’Darius Coffey commits. 5’11” 183 lbs, from Winona, MS. (84.98 composite) 
• June 7th – 3-star TE DaMarcus Thomas commits. 6’2″ 228 lbs, from Saraland, AL. (82.65 composite) 

Then, things heat up even more….

• June 9th
  • 3-star OG Kahlil Benson commits. 6’6″ 305 lbs, from Southaven, MS. (87.38 composite) 
  • 3-star RB Kentrel Bullock commits. 5’10” 195 lbs, from Columbia, MS. (82.26 composite)
  • 3-star CB Lakevias Daniel commits. 6’0″ 177 lbs from Ellisville, MS; Jones County JC. (86.00 composite) 
  • 3-star OT Luke Shouse commits. 6’6″ 255 lbs, from Brentwood, TN. (83.05 composite) 
• June 11th – 3-star OT Robert Scott commits. 6’6″ 295 lbs, from Conway, AR. (87.09 composite)
• June 15th – 3-star DE Cedric Johnson commits. 6’3″ 225 lbs, from Mobile, AL. (85.30 composite) 
• June 18th
  • 4-star S Eric Reed commits. 6’1″ 197 lbs, from Shreveport, LA. (92.33 composite) 
  • 3-star DT DeSanto Rollins commits. 6’3″ 269 lbs, from Baton Rouge, LA. (85.19 composite) 
• June 21st – 3-star WR Jaycob Horn commits. 6’1″ 205 lbs, from Tupelo, MS. (81.99 composite)
• June 22nd – 4-star ATH De’Rickey Wright commits. 6’4″ 220 lbs, from Gadsden, AL. (88.84 composite) 
• June 24th – 4-star QB Robby Ashford commits for football AND baseball. 6’2″ 204 lbs, from Hoover, AL. (91.56 composite)
• June 25th – 4-star WR Kris Abrams-Draine commits. 6’1″ 170 lbs, from Spanish Fort, AL. (88.96 composite)

Let the Dust Settle

So in 22 days, Ole Miss has notched 15 commitments.

These 15 join: 3-star OL Eli Acker (88.84 composite), 3-star OLB Jaqwandis Burns (87.09 composite); 3-star ILB Austin Keys (86.63 composite); 3-star S Daylen Gill (84.00 composite); and 3-star ATH Kyjuan Herndon (83.86 composite) to bring the total commits to 20.

Yes, these are the same Rebels about whom many naysayers preached doom and gloom; the same Rebels some folks have predicted will tally just four or five wins in 2019; the same Rebels who “lost everyone” after last season. Regardless of the negativity from the outside, the Ole Miss football program is on a roll.

Coach Luke and staff, along with new defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre and new offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez, are getting results and doing so quickly.

#HottyToddy #SHARKSEA20N ??? pic.twitter.com/2cJBcx3CyR

— Matt Luke (@CoachMattLuke) June 25, 2019

The Rebels’ mantra of “You don’t have to be blood to be family” seems to be striking a chord with some of the top high school and junior college talent.

Ole Miss has commitments from nine in-state players and is in the running for a handful more, including 4-star DT McKinnley Jackson and 4-star ATH Jeremiah Pegues, two of the top three players in MS in the 2020 class. If Coach Luke and company can land those two signatures in addition to the commits they already have, they’ll claim the top three players in the state–and four of the top six.

#OleMiss has landed three 4-stars in the last 72 hours, and five in the month of June! #Rebs are rolling!

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) June 25, 2019

Mark your calendars: December 18, 2019

Although there are five months still to go before any of this can become official, there is reason to celebrate and even more reason to keep pushing the envelope. Although the Rebels’ record hasn’t been great as of the last two years, Coach Luke’s team is now out of NCAA jail, free to go to a bowl game AND free to sign a full class. If Ole Miss has a solid season this fall, look for the early signing period that begins December 18, 2019 to be exciting for the Red and Blue!

Hotty Toddy!

Jake Evans

Jake, a 2021 graduate of Ole Miss with a degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications, is from Nashville, TN. Along with his work at The Rebel Walk, Jake hosts “The Flagship Football Show” podcast. He’s also a huge fan of the Rebels, Titans, Predators, and Braves.