On the Offer: Four-star Safety Ladarian Clardy talks about his offer from Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. — The NCAA recruiting dead period officially began at midnight on Monday and will run through March 3rd. While things may seem quieter on the home front for now, as all in-person contact is prohibited during such time, you can bet Lane Kiffin and staff are working to keep recruiting momentum rolling in 2025.
One such player whose momentum is certainly rolling is Ladarian Clardy, a four-star safety from Escambia, Florida the Rebels offered earlier this week.
Blessed and honored to receive an offer from ole miss🙏🏽❤️@OleMissFB @CoachB_BROWN @coachkitchens42 pic.twitter.com/NsvBQYTPTt
— Ladarian Clardy (@_ladarian34) February 5, 2024
We talked to Clardy about his recruitment thus far.
“It meant a lot getting an offer from Ole Miss. It is great!”
Ladarian Clardy
Clardy currently ranks as the No.157 overall athlete in the class of 2025, the No.13 safety in the nation, and the No. 18 prospect to come out of the Sunshine state. The dynamic two-way player knows how to make things happen and has had a strong track record since he began his high school career.
As a sophomore in 2022 at Escambia, he helped his team make it to the second round of the playoffs. He notched 55 total tackles, recorded eight pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two interceptions playing the safety position. He also tallied 547 return yards during that season and scored four touchdowns
Clardy closed his junior year campaign with 57 tackles, eight pass breakups and four interceptions for a stout Escambia defense on a team that finished 8-4 and made an appearance in Florida’s 3S regional finals. Clardy was also a playmaker for the offense, tallying 154 yards of total offense and four TDs.
Junior season🔥! https://t.co/JvDjvWucvh
— Ladarian Clardy (@_ladarian34) November 27, 2023
Clardy, like many elite players, is putting in the work on the national 7v7 circuit this offseason.
A couple of weeks ago he put on quite a show, playing with one of the top teams at Fast Houston, led by elite trainer Ro Simon Jr. Fast Houston and Simon are credited with developing many of the nation’s elite prospects, and Clardy is another one of them, no doubt.
He also made quite the statement out in Miami during the Battle 7v7 tournament where he showcased his physicality and exceptional range.
I know you heard of me🥷🏾! pic.twitter.com/eXYdcbRQAC
— Ladarian Clardy (@_ladarian34) January 28, 2024
In addition to the Rebels, Clardy has offers thus far from: Arkansas, Akron, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, FAU, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Tulane, UCF, USF, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, West Virginia and others.
Clardy talked about what has caught his attention thus far with Ole Miss.
“What stood out to me was (Rebel defensive analyst) Coach Matt Kitchens coming to meet me at the school! What stood out to me about Ole Miss is they are the number two team in the SEC West.”
Ladarian Clardy
We asked Clardy if the Rebels will get the opportunity to show him why Oxford could be the right move. “Yes, I’ll be visiting in the spring,” he replied.
Clardy also explained what he thinks his “x-factor” is and what he could bring to the team.
“I believe I can bring in leadership, and I’m a ball hawk!”
🔥🔥check out my interception from tonight! https://t.co/Gi2HlcWrhY
— Ladarian Clardy (@_ladarian34) September 30, 2023
Clardy’s is another exciting recruitment to keep your eyes on, and we will look forward to bringing more this off season on his recruiting journey. Hotty Toddy!
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Herring-Olvedo 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.
