Tupelo 2024 Safety Shamaar Darden commits to Ole Miss: ‘I wanted to stay home and play for the best team in the state’
OXFORD, Miss. — The class of 2024 defensive players keep rolling in for Ole Miss football as Tupelo (Miss.) High School athlete Shamaar Darden committed Monday afternoon.
Thank you God🙏🏾(COMMITTED )@CoachGolding @MacCorleone74 @On3sports @Tereif @7v7Speed @TupFB @RebelsFBRec @Lane_Kiffin @javis_robinson @PJ247Sports @_kbolden @wesnab4646 #LLJ💙 pic.twitter.com/KnZAg3gBzP
— Shamaar Darden (@DardenShamaar) June 26, 2023
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound wide receiver/defensive back at Tupelo is ranked the No. 26 overall athlete in the state of Mississippi according to 247Sports.
He indicates the Rebels have recruited him as safety and corner, and he has primarily been recruited by Ole Miss safeties coach Wes Neighbors.
Ole Miss offered Darden back in January when he attended the Rebels’ junior day, and the athlete says it didn’t take long to know Ole Miss was home. “Five months ago,” said Darden when asked at what point he made his decision.
He says he will return to Ole Miss on July 29 for “Juice Fest,” the Rebels’ final camp of the summer.
Last season, Darden notched 73 tackles, three for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked punt in 12 games for Tupelo.
Shamaar Darden (@DardenShamaar) with the big hit. 2024 DB 6-1 180
Tristan Jernigan (@Tristan38J) with the good hands, awareness and clean scoop. 2024 LB 6-2 215.
Tupelo HS (Tupelo, Miss)
Both are getting a lot of interest from FBS schools. pic.twitter.com/kFVVRhCNsF
— State to State Rion (@MacCorleone74) October 22, 2022
The Rebel Walk visited with Darden after his announcement and asked him why he ultimately chose the Rebels.
“I wanted to stay home and play for the best team in the state.”
Shamaar Darden
Darden has also received offers from Southern Miss and UTSA among others.
We’re always curious as to what athletes would tell other recruits about why Ole Miss is the move. Darden didn’t mince words. “The love,” he said simply.
Rebels are loving the look of this 2024 class that now has 16 members. Before Darden’s commit, Ole Miss was ranked No. 18 in the nation in the team recruiting rankings, according to 247Sports.
Stay tuned as we keep you updated on all the latest Ole Miss recruiting news.
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.
