Rebel Recruiting Targets React to Ole Miss win over Austin Peay
4-star S Ryan Yaites and 4-star LB James Heard, Jr. weigh in on the Rebels’ win
OXFORD, Miss. — There is no place like home — especially on game day in Oxford, MS. The much-anticipated home opener and the return of The Grove did not disappoint Saturday as Ole Miss defeated Austin Peay, 54-17, at Vaught-Hemingway.
The Rebels had another stellar showing on both sides of the ball and on special teams, with a little bit of everything thrown in, including John Rhys Plumlee entering the game at quarterback during the fourth quarter.
Plumlee now has transitioned to wide receiver but still has some tricks up his sleeve as a former quarterback. He had one completion on his lone pass for 6 yards and added 64 yards on 4 carries.
It was business as usual for quarterback Matt Corral and the stellar Ole Miss offense as he threw for 281 yards and 5 touchdowns and rushed for 35 yards. For his performance, Corral earned the Walter Camp Foundation FBS National Offensive Player of the Week award.
Ole Miss QB Matt Corral named Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week! #HottyToddy https://t.co/m0bNxQokJo
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) September 12, 2021
The Rebel run game continues to get stronger and stronger, as Ole Miss netted 336 yards on the ground against Austin Peay. Henry Parrish led the team with 72 yards on 8 carries.
Wide receiver Dontario Drummond had another outstanding performance. He was targeted 10 times and had six receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Jonathan Mingo caught seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense forced a pair of turnovers, including Sam Williams causing a fumble and then scooping and scoring from 33 yards out. The unit continues to play more physical — and, speaking of, we got to see the debut of the “Beast from the East,” freshman defensive lineman Tywone Malone, who notched his first sack of the season and quickly threw up the Landshark. He will soon become a huge problem for opposing offenses, there is no doubt.
Rebel Recruiting Targets’ Reactions
Not only does each game becoming a building block for the Rebels on the field, but also on the recruiting trail. The Rebel Walk had a chance to catch up with some of our top targets to get their rapid reaction on Saturday’s win in Oxford.
‘23 4-star S Ryan Yaites
Guyer HS, TX: 247Sports Ranks No.114 Overall, No. 9 Safety, No.19 in Texas
Nice open field tackle here by @DentonGuyer_FB’s @ryan_yaites.
Lake Ridge tries to punt, but the snap is bobbled and the punter is sacked for a loss.
Guyer takes over with great field position at the Lake Ridge 38-yard line. #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/Y5wUrScoNi
— Reece Waddell (@ReeceWaddell15) September 10, 2021
“It was a great win last night and last week against Louisville. I’d say they are a special team on both sides of the ball. Especially when holding a college team to less than 21 points. I could tell when I came up there this summer and watched them practice at 5 a.m., I could tell the team was bought in and was ready to make a run.”
Ryan Yaites
‘23 4-star LB James “Hannibal” Heard Jr.
St. Josephs Prep, PA: 247Sports Ranks No.296 Overall, No.29 Safety, No.8 in NJ
SACK #2️⃣ for @JamesHeardjr 🖤 pic.twitter.com/5CoeACp0Hk
— NewWaveAthletics (@NewWaveAthlete) September 5, 2021
“My thoughts on the game last night would be that the defense played lights out, they were in the the backfield all game with many tackles for loss and sacks. I can’t wait to see an Ole Miss game live in person!”
James Heard, Jr.
Next Up
The Rebels (2-0) climbed to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 and head into Saturday’s home matchup against Tulane in week three action. The Green Wave heads to Oxford 1-1, coming off a big win against 69-20 over Morgan State Saturday. Ole Miss will be preparing for a Tulane team that managed to keep it a close against the No. 3 Sooners in week one, losing 35-40 to OU.
The Rebels will kick off this Saturday at 7:00 PM from the Vaught. They’ll then have a bye week to prep for the SEC West road showdown in Tuscaloosa against the Crimson Tide on October 2nd.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann is the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She is a veteran SEC sports journalist and NFL content writer. She is also the Sr. Editor for MESPORTS digital. Herring-Olvedo is a Brown University graduate who loves good cigars, good games, and a smooth glass of bourbon — not necessarily in that order.
