Catching up with 4-star 2026 CB Dorian ‘DB’ Barney on his Ole Miss recruitment and recent visit: ‘I see myself fitting in good, coming in and learning and playing early’
OXFORD, Miss. — One of the key components that keeps Ole Miss and head coach Lane Kiffin thriving in the recruiting game is the ability to target top talent as well as get their message across. Whether it’s with their in-home recruiting visits or when a player is on campus, the Rebels’ staff is adept at explaining what their program has to offer the nation’s top talent — and one of those talented players is 2026 4-star cornerback Dorian “DB” Barney.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Barney recently received a visit from the Rebels, as well as took a visit to Oxford, himself. We spoke with him after the Rebels’ in-home visit and again after his Saturday trip to Oxford to get his thoughts.
Barney, a Carrollton (Georgia) High School player, has quite the offer sheet with his choice of many top programs in the country. The Max Preps All-American stands as the No. 7 cornerback in the country, the No. 8 overall athlete from the state of Georgia, and the No. 76 player at any position in the nation.
During his junior campaign last season, Barney tallied 39 total tackles, 27 solo, two tackles for loss, five interceptions, one pick six, one forced fumble, and five pass breakups.
https://t.co/MbAjuTZXhp JUNIOR SZN HIGHLIGHTS! Best highlights in the land! #🏝️🔒 @Carrollton_High @CoachJoeyKing @ChadSimmons_ @RivalsFriedman @CraigHaubert @samspiegs @RecruitGeorgia @247recruiting @On3Recruits @TomLoy247 @ErikRichardsUSA @SWiltfong_ @Andrew_Ivins pic.twitter.com/ctWTGS9mOV
— Dorian “DB” Barney (@1dorianbarney) December 21, 2024
The Rebels appear to be forging a strong recruiting relationship with Barney that is making an impact. This past week, Coach Kiffin, defensive coordinator Pete Golding and co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Bryan Brown were in Carrollton to let Barney know he’s a top priority for them.
Appreciate Coach Kiffin, Coach Golding, and Coach Brown for coming by the school and showing love!!🦈 @OleMissFB @Lane_Kiffin @CoachGolding @CoachB_BROWN #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/gQdCAkvOg8
— Dorian “DB” Barney (@1dorianbarney) January 21, 2025
“It was great. I really appreciate Coach Kiffin taking the time out of his day to come. It means a lot when the head coach comes to see me; that means that they are for real about me.”
Dorian Barney on the Rebel coaches’ in-home visit
Ole Miss sits as a strong contender for Barney’s elite skillset, and he shares one thing that stands out about the Rebels is, “how I am the No. 1 corner on their board!”
Who will the Rebels have to fend off as Barney’s recruitment has really started to pick up? He tells us the schools he is also connecting with are Georgia, Texas A&M, Florida State and Notre Dame.
When we asked Barney what he knows he can bring to his future program, his answer was concise.
“I can bring everything they need. The film doesn’t lie.”
Dorian Barney
That’s 2️⃣ on the year. Still got more in me!
Great team win 63-0 @Carrollton_High pic.twitter.com/Tgr1KkUukV— Dorian “DB” Barney (@1dorianbarney) September 7, 2024
On his visit to Ole Miss
Barney, a former Alabama commit, visited Florida State recently and was in Oxford early Saturday afternoon with his family. We visited with him after the trip to get his take on his in-person trip to the Velvet Ditch.
“The school, facilities and everything was great. I see myself fitting in good, coming in and learning and playing early.”
Dorian Barney
We asked Barney if anything stood out to him about his visit. “Just how the coaches interacted with me,” he noted. “I appreciate them,” he added.
We wondered if the visit helped Ole Miss in his recruitment. “It helped a lot with me seeing the program and getting a bit more feel on how the coaches feel about me.”
Barney’s family also enjoyed their time at Ole Miss. “They thought it was a great visit. It wasn’t a waste of our time,” Barney explained.
The talented cornerback talked about his timeline for making a decision. “I don’t really have a timeline, just when I think is the best time,” he said.
Barney will take a visit to Athens to see Kirby Smart and Georgia on February 1. Stay tuned as we will keep you posted on his recruiting journey.
We hit over here!😤 @PTRFootball @ChadSimmons_ @JeremyO_Johnson @DukestheScoop @CoachReedLive @Andrew_Ivins @RivalsFriedman @RivalsWoody @RyanCallahan247 pic.twitter.com/bxv3XgMkby
— Dorian “DB” Barney (@1dorianbarney) February 19, 2024
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.
