Rebel Recruits, Commits React to Egg Bowl Triumph: ‘The win showed we run the state of Mississippi!’
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss football made the case last Friday that the Rebels do, indeed, run the ‘Sip after their 26-14 win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl — not only on the football field but also in recruiting.
While the regular season may not have played out the way head coach Lane Kiffin and his team had planned, Ole Miss never quit and the team pulled together to win the Golden Egg. Now, attention turns to the recruiting front as the Rebels will welcome many talented new faces starting Wednesday, December 4th on the first day of the Early Signing Period.
The Egg Bowl rivalry runs deep and for Ole Miss to come out on top with so many of its commits and prospects on hand, along with plenty of potential prospects watching, is a big opportunity for the Rebels to capitalize on and close deals.
We appreciate all the Ole Miss commits and prospects who have given us their reactions this season, and we were glad to catch up with them to get their ‘on-the-win’ reactions for the Egg Bowl.
Here’s what they had to say:
“The win showed we run the state of Mississippi and we play for it to stay like that for a long time! Legendary team this year! COME TO THE SIP!”
– ’25 Hayden Bradley | Ole Miss Commit | 3-star TE | Buford High School | Buford, GA
“What stood out to me the most was the amount of people that still made it to the game even on a holiday weekend and it being that cold. That goes to show how big the Rebels’ fan base is and that was very exciting to see.”
– ’25 Kenneth Boston | Ole Miss Commit | 3-star OT | River Oaks School | Monroe, LA
“Ole Miss was very dominant in their rushing attack vs Mississippi State this weekend. That stood out the most to me.”
‘27 Sarod Baker | RB | DeSoto High School | DeSoto, TX
“What really impresses me about Ole Miss is their balanced offense. The way they spread the ball keeps defenses on high alert for both their dangerous run and passing game.”
– ’26 Christian Ward | 4-star WR | Walton High School | Marietta, GA
“Ole Miss had one of the best offensive teams in the country in my opinion.”
-’27 Ethan “Boobie “ Feaster| 5-star WR | DeSoto High School | DeSoto, TX
“It was a great win in a big rivalry game that Ole Miss dominated.”
-’26 Troy Pless | OL | Shoemaker High School | Killeen, TX
“What stood out most was the way the team never gave up and kept driving their guys. When the score seemed to start getting competitive, the defense always came back and shut it down when needed. Coach Kiffin really emphasizes effort throughout the game and it showed.”
– ‘26 Wlliam Ogbonna | Edge | Glen Allen High School | Glen Allen, VA
“They played very dominant and had each other’s backs and that’s what makes the team special because it starts up front.”
– ’25 Byron Washington | 3-star OT | DeSoto High School | DeSoto, TX
From the sidelines and beyond, the Rebels continue to catch the attention of some of the nation’s most-talented athletes. Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all the National Signing Day action. You can bet there are a lot of good things set to go down — as well as a few surprises. 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.
