From the Recruiting Trail: A Visit with 4-Star Offensive Tackle Brian Swanson; South Oak Cliff Lineman Holds Offers from Ole Miss, other top programs
OXFORD, Miss. –– High school football is back! That means each week The Rebel Walk is hitting the road to catch Ole Miss commits, top targets and prospects in action. This past week we headed to Houston for the opening of the Texas High School football season to catch 4-star 2027 offensive lineman Brian Swanson of South Oak Cliff in Dallas.
Swanson’s Golden Bears took on the North Shore Mustangs in a matchup of two of Texas’ best. Last season, both teams came up just one victory short of the state championship in their division.
Although we watched as Swanson’s Golden Bears were shut out by North Shore, 38-0, the 6-foot-5, 297-pounder showed why he is not only one of the most talked-about tackles in Texas, but also the nation.
He has already earned 4-star status, ranked as the No.74 overall athlete in the country, the No. 8 offensive tackle and the No.8 athlete to come out of the Lone Star State.
In addition to Ole Miss, Swanson holds offers from more than 15 schools, including: Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Duke, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Pittsburgh, San Diego State, and UNLV.
Blessed to receive an offer from University of Mississippi. @OleMissFB @CoachGarrisonOL @Thamannjr @ZachIsGreat_ @CoachIngram52 @CoachLinley60 @coach_traylor @SOCGoldenBearFB pic.twitter.com/4Ue2IGdQPr
— Brian Swanson (@BrianSwanson0) May 8, 2024
Sometimes a lineman’s frame can be deceiving and doesn’t always equate to their skill level, but that is not the case for this sophomore beast. Swanson’s frame, strong feet, power on the front line, and his excellent blocking ability are not in question.
He can play both tackle and guard, making his ability to adapt and adjust at more than one position even more appealing to Lane Kiffin and his staff as they are building great success on the front lines with hybrid players who are experienced, not just at multiple positions, but also on both sides of the ball.
Ole Miss target @BrianSwanson0
on that @SOCGoldenBearFB line is a force. #RWRecruiting pic.twitter.com/8hA14Nowai— LeeAnn Herring (@MissKYUS2011) August 31, 2024
A Visit with 2027 OT Brian Swanson
We had a chance to catch up with Brian following his season opener to talk about his recruitment and where the Rebels fit in.
RW: Your recruitment still has a ways to go, but you are already billed as one of the top linemen in the 2027 class. What are you most looking for in your future home?
Swanson: I’m really big on relationships and what makes me feel like family.
RW: What schools right now are recruiting you the strongest?
Swanson: Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Texas.
RW: It’s no questions all the Texas programs will be looking to keep you playing home with talent like yours. However, are there any programs of interest outside of Texas where you could see yourself playing?
Swanson: Probably Oklahoma
RW: You already hold an offer from Ole Miss. Can you share how your recruitment is going with the Rebels, and will you be taking a visit to Oxford?
Swanson: My recruitment with Ole Miss is great. Every time I see them, they have something good to say. I will definitely be down there soon.
RW: Where can Rebels catch you playing this week?
Swanson: I will be playing at Kincaid Stadium on Friday at 7:30 pm.
Final thoughts
Will the Rebels’ strong family culture and development be able to sway one of the Lone Star State’s elite young linemen? It sure seems to be heading in a strong direction.
Swanson and his Golden Bears head back home to Dallas to face the No.6-nationally ranked Duncanville Panthers this Friday, September 6, as they look to get some momentum rolling. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Kincaide Stadium in Dallas.
We look forward to bringing you more from Swanson and other Ole Miss targets on the recruiting trail. 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.
