RECRUIT REACTIONS: Ole Miss recruiting targets offer their reactions to the Rebels’ win over Auburn on the Plains
OXFORD, Miss. — While the Rebels were on the road this past Saturday, plenty of their top recruiting targets were tuned in as Ole Miss prevailed on the Plains, 28-21. The win at Jordan Hare moves the No. 12-ranked Rebels’ record to 6-1 overall, 3-1 in the SEC. Ole Miss now returns home to Vaught-Hemingway where they will take on Vanderbilt in a Homecoming matchup.
With October almost over, the recruiting trail is about to get even more heated as we draw closer to the early signing period in December. Each week, the Rebels not only have the opportunity to notch program-building wins but also to continue to show recruits just why the ‘Sip is the move.
The Rebel Walk had a chance to catch up with some of Ole Miss’ top targets and newest prospects to get their reaction on the heated battle in Auburn.
Here’s what they had to say.
“All season long you can see the Rebs fight and fight hard. They play aggressively and consistently and it definitely paid off! Go Rebs!!!”
— ‘24 King Joseph Edwards | 4-Star ATH | Mill Creek (GA)
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“I love how fast they play, and I love how they weren’t afraid to come out and play fast on the road against Auburn at one of the loudest stadiums in the SEC — that really surprised me.”
’26 JaMichael Garrett | Athlete | Gulf Shores (AL)
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“It’s always tough to get a road win in the SEC, so I loved to see the Rebels continue to fight all night long. That interception in the 4th quarter was huge and definitely was the biggest play that secured the win.The bonus for me was getting to mess with my dad because he played for Auburn’s HC, Hugh Freeze, back when he was in high school.”
– ‘25 Jalen Mickens | WR | Willis (TX)
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“I was impressed by how stout the Ole Miss defense played all night and getting critical stops that seemed to spark the offense. It was an exciting game and I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to witness a game in person at Oxford this coming November.”
‘26 Jaxon Pyatt | LB | Arvada West (CO)
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“It was cool, a good win over an SEC ‘rival.‘”
‘24 Andy Jaffe | Safety | Clearwater Central Catholic (Clearwater, FL)
Next Up
Ole Miss will kick-off against Vanderbilt at 6:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway. Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk this week to see what recruits we can expect in town for another SEC showdown.
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.
