A Visit with Transfer WR Jordan Smart: Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss secure commitment from North Texas wideout
OXFORD, Miss. — It’s already shaping up to be a sizzling summer in the ‘Sip — especially when it comes to Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss recruiting. It is clear that Oxford is the destination where many playmakers are flocking to play and develop.
The Rebels remain dominant in the portal, and on Saturday they added North Texas wide receiver Jordan Smart who committed and will bring his talents to the field this fall.
James 1:12 #HottyToddy🦈 pic.twitter.com/Em0kutIqLN
— Jordan Smart (@Jordansmartboi) June 1, 2024
The 5-10, 185-pound Round Rock (Texas) native will arrive in Oxford as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. Smart will undoubtedly bring a plethora of skills and his experience to one of the best wide receiver rooms in college football.
It’s #ThrowbackThursday!
Today, we highlight @MeanGreenFB WR Jordan Smart’s 53-yard catch in the 2022 Frisco Bowl🔥#FriscoBowl#FriscoMeansFootball pic.twitter.com/zr5Utx0o8x
— Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl (@FriscoBowlGame) February 16, 2023
Denton Days
During his 2023 campaign last season for the North Texas Mean Green, Smart was named Honorable Mention Preseason All-AAC (CFN) where he saw action in 11 games with two starts under his belt. He closed the season with 19 catches for 230 yards and one touchdown.
In 2022, he played in 11 games with one start where he tallied 21 receptions for 331 yards and one touchdown. He had one long reception for 53 yards and notched 46 kick return yards and 381 all purpose yards.
1on1 pic.twitter.com/jUCeGgIQKI
— Jordan Smart (@Jordansmartboi) April 17, 2024
Odessa Primer
Before arriving at North Texas, Smart played two seasons at UT Permian Basin. He saw action in 11 games in 2021 with 11 starts and led the team with 45 receptions for 587 yards and 8 touchdowns. There, he averaged 118 yards per game in his final three contests that season, including a season-high of 156 yards and two scores in a victory against Midwestern State.
Roll the tape📽… pic.twitter.com/3JiwIz4QLa
— Jordan Smart (@Jordansmartboi) March 25, 2022
Smart has roots in Texas, but he is eager to write a new chapter with the Rebels. We had a chance to catch up with Jordan following his commitment.
A Visit with Jordan Smart
RW: When was the moment you knew that OleMiss is where you want to be?
Smart: After the conversation I had with (wide receivers) Coach (George) McDonald, I felt like he, as well as Ole Miss’ explosive offense, could take my game to the next level.
RW: What ultimately made you choose to transfer to Ole Miss?
Smart: Wanting to be coached by some of the best coaches in college football as well as wanting to be a part of an explosive offense, with a dynamic QB!
RW: What stood out most about the program and the way Ole Miss recruited you?
Smart: I felt like here at Ole Miss there are a lot of opportunities for players to make an impact, as well as this being a year that we compete for a national championship!
RW: What are you most looking forward to as a new Rebel?
Smart: To find a way to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball any way possible, as well as getting to work with my new teammates.
RW: What is your “X factor” that you believe you will bring to Ole Miss?
Smart: I believe as WR I can do just about everything, as well as being a great man beater.
Game film. Dm for the rest of tape. pic.twitter.com/RKwENgJfqm
— Jordan Smart (@Jordansmartboi) April 17, 2024
From his high school career in Round Rock, to every stop he has made in his collegiate journey, it is apparent Smart is a trailblazer as a wideout with a keen sense of the game that helps make it difficult for any opposing defender to stop him.
Once again, the Rebels have scored big in the transfer portal. Welcome to the ‘Sip, Jordan!
.@Jordansmartboi reverses the field and makes a couple guys miss on his way to a 45-yd touchdown!@MeanGreenFB | #CUSAFB pic.twitter.com/XW2jhxVWi8
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) November 5, 2022
For all the latest from the recruiting trail and Ole Miss Athletics, The Rebel Walk always has you covered.
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.
