On the Win: Reactions from Ole Miss commits, targets and coaches: ‘Lane Kiffin is a genius; Dart is a maestro’
OXFORD, Miss. — Vaught-Hemingway was electric Saturday with a record crowd of 67,505 roaring Rebels watching then-No. 5 Ole Miss defeat Georgia Southern, 52-13, to close out non-conference play.
The Rebels now look ahead this week to their SEC opener against the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 5. We caught up with some of the Ole Miss commits, targets and a special spectator who offered their thoughts on what stood out the most in the win over Georgia Southern.
Recruit Reactions On the Win
“There were a few things that stood out. I love the way they are who they are, no matter who they play. They have fun and play hard on both sides of the ball, no matter who it is.”
‘25 Bryson Walters | 3 Star LB| Itawamba Ag | MS | Ole Miss Commit
“I loved the atmosphere and the energy I received from talking with the coaches. During the game, the defense stood out to me. I enjoyed watching the defense play fast and with a purpose.”
‘26 Braylon Outlaw | 3Star LB | Pike Road | AL
“I feel like Ole Miss had a great game against Georgia Southern, and I loved how they showed how dominant they are! I feel like they moved the ball up and down the field pretty effectively and the defense played great.”
‘27 Sarod Baker | RB | Desoto | TX
“The offense: Lane Kiffin is a genius; Dart is a maestro. The defensive line was great. Ole Miss’ facilities were top tier. They inspired me and re-lit a flame that was diminishing from JUCO. All around great visit.”
Patrick Tackie | DT Hinds CC | MS
Thoughts from Chris Paul, Sr.
The Ole Miss defense continues to create chaos for every offense it has encountered. This week, we saw the Ole Miss linebackers perform well. Leading the unit in that is Arkansas transfer Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr., who had no problem stepping up in the absence of TJ Dottery. Paul, Jr. led the team in tackles with 10 (seven solo), tallied 1.5 sacks and notched two tackles for loss in the win over the Eagles.
Click here to read more on Chris Paul, Jr.’s take on the win over Georgia Southern.
We spoke with Paul’s father, Coach Christopher Paul, Sr., to get his take on the win and his thoughts on upcoming SEC play. As a coach, he is no stranger to the world of game days and play calling.
“The thing that stood out to me the most is that the players are having fun while DOMINATING and playing their game,” Paul Sr. explained.
“The culture was probably questioned in the beginning because of the new guys coming in, but we all see that these guys are unselfish and VERY CLOSE! They have come together for one common goal and that’s to win a SEC/National Championship. Going into SEC play, we need to just play a consistently clean game in all three phases, BUT STAY AGGRESSIVE, and we will be just fine.“
Coach Chris Paul, Sr.
Next Up:
The Rebels will face head coach Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats in an early 11:00 am kickoff from Oxford. The ‘greatest show on turf’ is rolling, and we look forward to sharing more from the recruiting trail.
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann is the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She is a veteran SEC sports journalist and NFL content writer. She is also the Sr. Editor for MESPORTS digital. Herring-Olvedo is a Brown University graduate who loves good cigars, good games, and a smooth glass of bourbon — not necessarily in that order.
