Jaemyn Brakefield is officially an Ole Miss Rebel
After much speculation, Jaemyn Brakefield is officially an Ole Miss Rebel.
The Mississippi native and No. 29-ranked player in ESPN’s 2020 recruiting rankings made it official in a tweet Wednesday morning.
♥️🏠 pic.twitter.com/wyk0KC9Wp7
— Jaemyn Brakefield (@Jaemyn1) April 21, 2021
Head coach Kermit Davis talked about the commitment of Brakefield, who will join the Rebels for the 2021-22 season.
“Jaemyn has been a top priority for us since our arrival in Oxford three years ago,” Coach Davis said.
“We love his size, versatility, athleticism and skill set as a player. Jaemyn can stretch the floor from three as well, and he is an excellent playmaker for a 6-foot-9, 220-pound athlete. His high character also makes him an outstanding teammate. Our Ole Miss fan base will have fun watching him and the rest of his class.”
Head coach Kermit Davis on Jaemyn Brakefield
At Duke
While a freshman at Duke, Brakefield played in 22 of 24 games, starting two. He averaged 12.5 minutes, 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Jaemyn Brakefield with ice in his veins down the stretch. Two HUGE plays that won #Duke the game.👇🏼🔵😈pic.twitter.com/tFzK9sml9x
— Rick Heidrick (@rheidrick24) February 21, 2021
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski released a statement saying, “Brakefield has a bright future ahead of him and we will miss him.”
High school star
Brakefield was a 5-star prospect coming out of Huntington Prep. He was the No. 1 player in the state and the fourth-best power forward in the country.
At Huntington Prep, Brakefield became the first player to be named West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year three times, averaging 19.2 ppg and 8.3 rpg as a senior, while earning a spot in the 2020 Jordan Brand Classic at the end of the season.
Brakefield played AAU pall for Team Phenom University in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. He averaged 15.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 2.8 apg.
Incoming class
In addition to the incoming class that includes high school graduates Daeshun Ruffin, Grant Slatten, Eric Van Der Heijden and James White, Brakefield will join Georgia guard Tye Fagan and Miami center Nysier Brooks who have transferred to play for the Rebs.
Brooks and Brakefield are immediately eligible given the NCAA approval of a one-time, penalty-free transfer for all collegiate athletes. With respect to Fagan’s eligibility, it is not clear yet what will happen as the SEC is expected to consider in-conference transfer rules at its spring and summer meetings.
(Feature image courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics)
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
