Four-star 2023 Quarterback Marcel Reed Commits to Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. Head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff hosted some of the nation’s top recruits for the Grove Bowl this weekend, and it paid off as the Rebels have landed another elite quarterback in Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) gunslinger Marcel Reed.
The talented four-star announced Monday afternoon via Instagram live his commitment to #ComeToTheSip. He heads to Oxford as the No.17 overall QB in the 2023 class and the No.7 athlete out of Tennessee.
Congrats @MarcelReed12 ! pic.twitter.com/yw0aDvRAWV
— MBA Football (@MBAFootball) April 25, 2022
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Reed held offers from SEC schools including: Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and A&M. He also received offers from Baylor, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, Marshall, Miami, TCU, Tennessee State, Tulane, Virginia Tech, Penn State and Morehouse.
It is no secret that the 2023 QB recruiting race has been hot as of late.
This past weekend, Coach Kiffin, co-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and assistant quarterback Coach Dane Stevens did a fantastic job showing Reed, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, just why Oxford and Ole Miss are the place to be.
Always a party in the sip with the 🐐.
#hottytoddy @Lane_Kiffin @CoachDane1 @WeisJr_M @CoachDoege pic.twitter.com/PQqhwjNBwS— Marcel Reed (@MarcelReed12) April 24, 2022
After a long courtship, the Rebels are gaining not only an elite quarterback, but one who is extremely athletic, excelling in track and field and basketball.
MBA QB @MarcelReed12 with a DOT.
One of the top QBs in the country, and only getting better pic.twitter.com/V0R6vysUex
— QB Country Nashville (@QBC_Nashville) March 29, 2022
It’s in his DNA
Reed is no stranger to the demands of football; you could say it’s in his DNA. The son of former Tennessee State head coach Rod Reed will be ready to compete the moment he arrives.
A star at Montgomery Bell, Reed has been outstanding at the helm of the Big Red. He has helped elevate the program and to date has notched 23 running touchdowns and 35 passing.
As a sophomore he helped his team to the Tennessee Division II-AAA state semifinals. During his junior campaign, Reed led his team to a Division II-AAA state title game appearance. Will a state title come next? That would not be a surprise.
Fit In The Sip
Reed’s football IQ and his disciplined approach to the game will add a great deal to the already-talented Ole Miss QB room.
Back shoulder fade 🎯@MarcelReed12 pic.twitter.com/tiuptmm1XT
— QB Country Nashville (@QBC_Nashville) April 19, 2022
Here are some of Reed’s attributes:
- Extreme athleticism
- Strong football IQ
- Immense mobility in the run game
- Quick release and good field radar to get the ball out from different angles
- Great off the cuff playmaker
- Plays well in uptempo setting
- Strong arm with potential to improve deep ball
Welcome to the Ole Miss family, Marcel! Rebel Nation is excited to add another top 2023 player to the #PartyInTheSip.
(Feature image graphic: Lee Ann Herring)
Herring-Olvedo 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.



