Offensive lineman John Wayne Oliver commits to Ole Miss: “I wanted to go to a school where I’m wanted the most”
OXFORD, Miss. — Offensive lineman John Wayne Oliver announced his commitment to Ole Miss Tuesday afternoon via Twitter.
Committed. #ComeToTheSip @Lane_Kiffin @CoachGarrisonOL pic.twitter.com/QTZm4TwTcu
— John Wayne Oliver (@JohnWayneOliver) June 20, 2023
Oliver, from Christ Presbyterian in Nashville, is rated as the nation’s No. 39 offensive tackle prospect and the No. 13 overall player in the state of Tennessee for the 2024 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Oliver helped his team rush for more than 1,900 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns this past season, en route to the offense amassing 4,015 total yards on the year. Christ Presbyterian lost to Lipscomb Academy in the Division II-AA state championship game.
Earlier this month, the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Oliver had named a top three that included Ole Miss, TCU and Auburn. He also held offers from Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Michigan, Miami, Kentucky, Memphis and Florida State, to name a few.
He spoke with The Tennessean and explained his decision.
“I made some great relationships at Ole Miss. I know a lot of the players there and I’ve always wanted to play in SEC and it’s four hours from home. That was important because of my family and the fact that my sister (Mary Taylor Oliver) goes to Mississippi State.”
OL commit John Wayne Oliver
He went on to talk further about choosing the Rebels, saying he knew it was Ole Miss after he made his official visit June 9-11.
“There were a lot of schools that wanted me to play guard. But coach (Lane) Kiffin will give me a chance to play tackle and that was big for me.”
John Wayne Oliver
Back in April, Oliver made an unofficial visit to Oxford and he told The Tennessean he liked what he saw from Coach Kiffin and staff.
“(Kiffin) is a real chill dude. When you see him on TV, it’s different. In person he was just real down to earth and I liked that and they’ve been recruiting me the most, since March. I wanted to go to a school where I’m wanted the most.”
John Wayne Oliver
Oliver is both wanted and needed in Oxford. He marks the 11th commit in the 2024 class, and is the third offensive lineman for Coach Kiffin and offensive line coach John Garrison.
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.
