SMU All-Conference Running Back Ulysses Bentley IV announces transfer to Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin continues to solidify his status as the Portal King following the announcement by SMU running back Ulysses Bentley IV that he is joining the Rebels.
Bentley, who led the American Athletic Conference in rushing in 2020 and started 14 games over the past two seasons, declared via Twitter his plans to play for Ole Miss. He joins Coach Kiffin’s 2022 transfer class that is ranked No. 1 in the nation.
@OleMissFB 😈 Let’s gooooooo…. pic.twitter.com/OTwHoyRVHj
— Ulysses Bentley IV (@BentleyDoo) March 17, 2022
Bentley, who graduated from King High School in Houston, rushed for 610 yards and nine touchdowns on 96 carries last year for the Mustangs. He also notched 21 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown.
Although he dealt with an ankle injury in 2021, it’s easy to see what a playmaker Bentley was for SMU.
In spite of being limited because of the injury, he still started eight games and finished second on the team in rushing yards. For his efforts, he earned second-team All-AAC honors.
Here’s a glimpse at Bentley’s abilities.
Oh, hello Ulysses Bentley IV pic.twitter.com/WfCh3MScqY
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) November 13, 2021
One of my favorite 2023 RB Ulysses Bentley! Battled some injuries this season but he’s a talented ball carrier.
He’s an IZ & OZ fit with a tough run style. An explosive speed cutter. pic.twitter.com/UiEtAsQlpb
— Damian Parson (@DP_NFL) March 1, 2022
Bentley, a three-star recruit in 2019, redshirted his first year at SMU. He impressed in his redshirt freshman campaign in 2020, carrying 170 times for 913 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
He led the American Athletic Conference in rushing that season, earning first-team all-conference honors as well as being named AAC Co-Rookie of the Year.
17 carries, 199 yards, 3 TD and a long of 84 yards. Have yourself a day Ulysses Bentley IV! pic.twitter.com/vNE0Pv26t7
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) September 20, 2020
Simply put, Bentley brings huge game-breaking ability to the Rebels’ offense.
Bentley will be a junior entering the fall. He played at SMU under coach Sonny Dykes who left in late November to become the head coach at TCU.
(Feature image graphic: Lee Ann Herring, The Rebel Walk)
Lee Ann serves as the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.



