A visit with 4-star wide receiver JJ Harrell as he says his ‘recruitment is still open’
OXFORD, Miss. — Fifty years ago, legendary baseball player Yogi Berra uttered the infamous words, “It ain’t over till it’s over” — and that certainly is true in the case of the football recruitment of talented four-star wide receiver and Mississippi native JJ Harrell.
Harrell is one of the class of 2024’s most coveted wide receivers. The 6-foot, 187-pound speedster out of Sardis, Miss. (North Panola High School) is ranked as the No. 22 wide receiver in the country and the No. 3 overall player in the ‘Sip.
As of now, Harrell is committed to Tennessee; however, there’s still a long way until National Signing Day in December and he has remained open to other schools remaining in the hunt — as his twitter post of May 5 indicates.
my recruitment is still open to anyone interested in me.
— JJ Harrell (@cantcover4) May 5, 2023
You can bet every top program from coast to coast is taking note that the door to Harrell’s recruitment is still open. The Rebel Walk was fortunate to catch up with JJ recently to talk with him about the reopening of his recruitment and what schools have been vying for his attention.
“I’ve earned everything I’ve got so far, so I gotta enhance the opportunities to go visit and get recruited by teams I used to watch when I was younger,” Harrell told us on keeping his recruitment open.
Harrell says Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and A&M have continued to recruit him strong even after his commitment to Tennessee.
“I’ll be visiting a lot of places this summer,” Harrell added on his plans for visits and camps.
Look for Harrell to keep generating more buzz this off season as he continues to put in the work with his team during Spring ball — and as he seeks to earn that fifth star before it’s all said and done.
JJ Harrell (@cantcover4) 4⭐️ WR from North Panola had himself a game friday night in the First Round of the playoffs. 4 catches for 161 yds, 3 TDs & a 2pt conversion. #AVIsionMedia #Next1UpSportz #SidelineConvos pic.twitter.com/TgRz6W4RmF
— AVIsion Media© (@dj_AVIsionMedia) November 6, 2022
Whether you have the opportunity to see Harrell in person or on tape, he shows why he is such a dynamic player and why the Rebels and many top programs continue trying to find a way to catch his attention.
Ole Miss has a chance to keep making up some ground down the stretch as the Rebs push hard toward the recruiting finish line of the 2024 cycle.
who all wanna see me and @BraylonBurnside play together next level?👀🦈🔴🔵 @DerrickDnix @_kbolden @CoachAlexFaulk @Lane_Kiffin @Collins_OleMiss @CoachQ_OleMiss pic.twitter.com/0Kgv6A2QtU
— JJ Harrell (@cantcover4) February 1, 2023
Timetable for a decision
When we visited with Harrell, we asked him what his timetable for a decision would be.
“I would make a final decision come December on Signing Day.“
JJ Harrell
With early Signing Day coming December 21, 2023, there’s no doubt Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, wide receivers coach Derrick Nix and coordinator of recruiting strategy Kelvin Bolden will be in it for the long haul, especially with the opportunity to keep a talent as explosive as Harrell at home.
— JJ Harrell (@cantcover4) May 7, 2023
Advice from JJ on recruiting process
As sports media, we see the recruitment process for each of these players from many viewpoints at a time, but no one can share the experience better than the athlete, himself, who is going through the process.
We asked Harrell what his advice is to high school players — whether they’re an athlete at the top of the list of the most coveted players, or ones looking to make their mark this season.
“My advice to any kids going through the recruitment process is to keep trusting God and pay attention to if you’re needed, not wanted. You have to feel like a priority; that’s how you know if you’re making the right decision. Keep dreaming big and keep manifesting your dreams, you will eventually wake up with them in your face.”
JJ Harrell on advice to recruits
Harrell wanted to also be sure and share this with his home state.
“I love the support I get from the entire state of Mississippi. They play a major part in my success so far, I’m a SipBoy 4L!”
JJ Harrell on his home state
Stay tuned for more on this race to the finish for one of the most talented players in the nation!
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
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.
