The Rebel RoundUp: Here’s a timeline of all the Ole Miss excitement this past week…with more to come!
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss football has continued to stay hot in its transfer portal streak, resulting in some of the most exciting and frenzied days in recent memory for Rebel fans awaiting notice on the latest additions.
Men’s basketball continues its unbeaten streak and should be ranked this week. In this edition of The Rebel RoundUp, we want to keep you posted on what’s been a very event-filled week in Oxford.
Head coach Lane Kiffin, known as the ‘Portal King’ for his prowess in attracting transfers to Oxford, is dominating yet again this cycle. The Rebels are ranked No. 2 in the nation in the latest transfer portal team rankings by 247Sports. They’re ranked No. 3 in the nation in the On3 2024 Transfer Portal Rankings.
In addition to football, head coach Chris Beard and the men’s basketball team are now just one of four remaining undefeated teams in the nation, standing tall at 10-0 following their 88-78 win over Cal Saturday in San Antonio.
For those who who might not have been able to keep up with the abundance of new information over the last few days, here is a breakdown of all the exciting action that occurred this week.
Monday, December 11
The week got started off with a bang as Ole Miss fans officially received some long-awaited good news that talented wide receiver Tre Harris will be coming back for another season. This came on the heels of fellow wide receiver Jordan Watkins and tight end Caden Prieskorn both announcing their return, as well.
Tuesday, December 12
Ole Miss football received some more welcomed news Tuesday as Suwanee, Georgia native and Rebel defensive end Jared Ivey announced he will be returning to the ‘Red and Blue’ for the 2024 season and not declaring for the NFL draft. Prior to Ivey’s announcement, fellow defensive lineman JJ Pegues also stated he will be returning, as well.
Wednesday, December 13
At 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday night, defensive coordinator Pete Golding tweeted the infamous shark emoji, indicating that a defensive recruit had committed to Ole Miss. Due to the number of players who were rumored to be in Oxford, people were a little confused about which recruit would be committing, but they’d soon find out.
Thursday, December 14
Nearly 24 hours later, at 2 p.m., on the 14th, Key Lawrence, a safety out of Oklahoma, committed to the ‘Sip. Lawrence had been predicted to commit by several recruiting services throughout the week, and finally, in Key’s Twitter post, he confirmed it. During this time, Ole Miss fans were also patiently waiting on a decision from Florida transfer EDGE Princely Umanmielan after hearing that he had made a decision.
Friday, December 15
After almost a week of speculation, Rebel fans got what they had been waiting for. Pete Golding sent out the shark emoji, and soon after, the former Gator Umanmielan committed to Ole Miss. Princely is ranked as the No. 1 EDGE in the transfer portal and will use his final year of eligibility in Oxford.
Just as Rebel fans started soaking in the happiness of Princely’s announcement, Golding released another shark tweet, meaning yet another recruit had decided to join the Rebels.
As impatient as we all were, there would be no recruiting update for the rest of the day.
Saturday, December 16
There’s just no other way to describe Saturday than it was a banner day for the Rebels. Right out of the gate on Saturday at 1 p.m., Tamarion McDonald, a starting safety at Tennessee who had been on a visit to Ole Miss this weekend, announced his commitment to the Rebels.
McDonald was visiting Oxford with his teammate Tyler Baron, a defensive lineman from Tennessee. Within the next hour, Golding sent out his next tweet, and Baron soon announced his commitment to the Rebs.
Suddenly, in less than a day, Ole Miss gained possession of the best two EDGES in the transfer portal in Umanmielen and Baron, as well as a versatile, quick and experienced defensive back in McDonald.
According to reports, it appears that the next commitment for Ole Miss may not be too far in the distance. The best player in the transfer portal, Walter Nolen, is in Oxford for his official visit, which concludes Sunday, and the Rebs are extremely confident at the moment in their position to land him, with several national analysts entering a cystal ball to Ole Miss for Nolen. In the event he commits, the announcement will hopefully occur relatively soon.
Switching gears to high school recruiting, on Saturday 2024 quarterback Anthony Maddox Jr. flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Ole Miss after getting offered by the Rebs just last week.
Maddox recently won the 7A Mississippi State Championship alongside his brother, a top-100 2025 defensive lineman the Rebels have also offered. The signal caller will make an immediate impact for Ole Miss in both his impressive gameplay and recruiting.
Men’s Basketball
To top off the madness, Ole Miss basketball defeated California 88-78 to move to 10-0. Long-awaited transfer Brandon Murray was able to step on the court for the first time all season after an NCAA ruling cleared the way for two-time transfers to participate. Murray slowly worked himself back into game action and was able to drain a three in his debut.
Ole Miss shot over 50 percent from the field and three-point line while making over 85 percent of their free throws. The Rebels’ offensive success resulted in the team scoring the most points in their season, thus far. In the next AP Poll, you can bet Ole Miss will be in the top 25.
What’s Next?
We are awaiting a decision from Walter Nolen as to his transfer destination and all reports indicate the Rebels are in a very good position. We’re also hearing from sources that something could be brewing with South Carolina transfer wide receiver Juice Wells. We will keep you posted on all the latest.
To stay informed with basketball, recruiting, and other sporting updates, make sure you continue to tune into The Rebel Walk. Hotty Toddy!
