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
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.
