Versatile offensive lineman Daniel Akinkunmi, one of top uncommitted prospects for 2024, set to visit Ole Miss in September
OXFORD, Miss. — If you don’t know the name Daniel Akinkunmi, you will soon. He has become one of the most coveted offensive linemen remaining in the 2024 cycle — and he plays across the pond in England.
The Rebels, who offered him back in June, have remained in the hunt and are in his list of top schools.
#AGTG After a great conversation with @CoachGarrisonOL I’m blessed to receive a offer from @OleMissFB @Collins_OleMiss @Rishi_Desai_ @Lane_Kiffin @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @justinwells2424 @MikeRoach247 @SWiltfong247 @CraigHaubert @RustyMansell_ @EdOBrienCFB @AllenTrieu pic.twitter.com/97CbyInK7p
— 3⭐️ OL Daniel Akinkunmi (@official_Grind4) June 5, 2023
While Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin’s recruiting bread and butter initially came from the transfer portal as he looked to quickly rebuild the program, as of late the program is demonstrating it can also excel in finding elite talent at the high school level, and that it can come from literally anywhere.
For 2023, the Rebs are ranked No. 3 in the transfer portal in the nation. For 2024, they’re ranked in the top 20 for high school recruits.
Akinkunmi has only been playing football for a little over a year; however, he is already a 3-star and ranks as the No. 34 interior offensive lineman in the nation in his class. Oh — and he can play all five spots on the offensive line.
— 3⭐️ OL Daniel Akinkunmi (@official_Grind4) August 28, 2023
The NFL Academy
Even at the high school level, American football has quite a footing overseas. In September of 2019, the NFL saw the need to help foster that talent, launching the NFL Academy that calls Loughborough, England home.
This initiative was created to help bring together the global talent of student athletes who range from 16-19 to foster their love for the game, build their schools and attain their education. The squad’s roster is formed with 70 of the world’s best who are trained by professional coaches.
Raw talent and athleticism
Akinkunmi’s raw talent and extreme athleticism have many of the nation’s top programs, including Ole Miss, knocking at the door ready to bring him home. Clemson just offered him a few days ago.
In addition to an offer from the Rebels, he currently holds ones from: Baylor, Oklahoma, Clemson, Miami, Arkansas, Duke, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas Tech, UTSA, Washington State, and Penn State, among others.
He recently spoke with The Rebel Walk about receiving the offer.
”It’s amazing feeling to get offered by them (Ole Miss). I really appreciate the opportunity and can’t wait to hopefully take an OV (official visit).”
Akinkunmi on the Ole Miss offer
After a long summer of camps and visits for Akinkunmi, he still has the Rebels on his mind.
Top ten 🇬🇧➡️🇺🇸#SicEm #Sooner #ComeToTheSip #GoJackets #ForBoston #BLEEDBLUE #Gophers #Razorbacks #GoCougs #GoHerd pic.twitter.com/Ns3vUjb1QG
— 3⭐️ OL Daniel Akinkunmi (@official_Grind4) July 28, 2023
The mountain of a young man also talked about what he is looking for in a program.
”…I need a program that IS home, not just feels like it’s home, because of how far away I live. I need to have a coaching staff who can develop me to the NFL and to get a good education.”
Daniel Akinkunmi
Akinkunmi remains diligent in working on his development and helping his team this season while continuing to focus on the program he will choose from down the road.
When people are partying or sleeping in I’m working on my craft 💆🏾♂️
Today I’m working on:
Pass pro 45 and vertical set pic.twitter.com/fCQv4kNKEX— 3⭐️ OL Daniel Akinkunmi (@official_Grind4) July 3, 2023
LET’S GO ALL-AMERICA @official_Grind4!
He’s going to get the chance to play on the biggest stage in high school 🏈!#NFLAcademy pic.twitter.com/NzDIizKda0
— NFL Academy (@NFLAcademy) August 3, 2023
Official visit to Ole Miss planned for September
Akinkunmi also shared with us that he plans to go on more official visits during the months of September and that Ole Miss would be receiving one of those. He plans to make his commitment in October.
While he may be new to the game and might need a little time to develop at the next level, he has the athleticism and the attitude to compete in the SEC. What makes him an even more appealing prospect is he is comfortable in multiple areas, all five to be exact, on the line. That versatility is another reason why many programs are continuing to take a chance to land one of the best kept secrets across the pond.
Being versatile in this game is important.
I can play all 5 positions for OL.
6’5 305lbs pic.twitter.com/NCZRkVMV9J
— 3⭐️ OL Daniel Akinkunmi (@official_Grind4) July 27, 2023
Coaches I can flip that switch off and on || 6’5 305lbs class 24 || pic.twitter.com/eaECOpjJOf
— 3⭐️ OL Daniel Akinkunmi (@official_Grind4) June 15, 2023
We look forward to sharing more on Daniel’s recruitment along with his upcoming visit to Oxford.
Hotty Toddy!
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.
