Ole Miss Transfer Kicker Jonathan Cruz is excited and ‘ready to get to Oxford and get to work’
OXFORD, Miss. — As Ole Miss football prepares for another big weekend of visits from some of the nation’s top prospects, the Rebels closed the week with a huge commitment on the special teams front from Charlotte transfer kicker Jonathan Cruz.
After four years in the Queen City playing for the 49ers, Cruz announced Friday via Twitter that he will is headed to Ole Miss.
— Jonathan Cruz (@cruzjonathan7) April 8, 2022
The Rebel Walk had the chance to catch up with Jonathan and ask him about his decision to become a Rebel.
“I’m excited to play at Ole Miss for my last season. I can’t wait to be a part of this great program! Just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has supported me throughout this journey. Ready to get to Oxford and get to work! Hotty Toddy🦈“
Kicker Jonathan Cruz on becoming a Rebel
Cruz’ outstanding career at Charlotte
In 2021, Cruz handled all the kicking duties for Charlotte. He was 40-41 on PATs (.976) and kicked a 56-yard FG at Western Kentucky to tie the school record and his own career-best, which was also the longest field goal made in C-USA in 2021, 4th-longest in all of FBS.
Last season, he led the 49ers with 70 points scored.
Here’s a look at some of Cruz’ accomplishments while at Charlotte:
- His 56-yard FG at WKU was the longest in C-USA in 2021 and tied for 4th-longest in NCAA
- School-record holder in career FG% (.719; 41-57)
- School-record with five field goals made of 50+ yards (5-6, .833)
- Shares school-record for longest FGM (Game-winning 56-yarder at FAU, 2018; 56-yarder at WKU, 2021)
Over the course of his time with the 49ers, Cruz was also an impact player for the special teams unit on kickoffs, averaging 57.9 yards on 65 kickoffs, with 44 touchbacks.
High school star
Cruz’ talent has been evident since his high school days where he suited up for one of the nation’s top football programs, Cartersville High School (Cartersville, Georgia).
Cruz finished with a 53-3 record in high school, including a school-record 41-game winning streak where he and the Hurricanes won two state titles, made three final four appearances and notched 14 playoff wins.
He was named Special Teams Player of the Year four times and was a two-time All-State kicker and first-team All-State punter who made 72-of-72 PAT attempts and scored 401 points in his career.
The addition of Cruz is another masterful portal move by Ole Miss. Stay tuned to find out who comes to the ‘Sip next!
Hotty Toddy!
(Feature image graphic: Lee Ann Herring, The Rebel Walk)
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
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.
