Pete Golding, Ole Miss add 17 high school prospects as Early Signing Period begins

OXFORD, Miss.–Socrates writes, “The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” This philosophy is being embraced by new Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and the Rebels as they begin the Golding era.

The 2026 Rebels recruiting class delivered a standout opening to the early signing period Wednesday. Golding and staff welcomed 17 signees to their roster, including a notable flip from LSU wide receiver commit Kervin Johnson out of Tioga High School in Louisiana.

Ole Miss finishes the day ranked No. 24 in the ESPN class rankings for 2026, and not far off in either the Rivals (No. 26) or 247Sports (No. 32) rankings as well. All told, Ole Miss currently has six four-star prospects in its 2026 signing class – including two unanimous ones in defensive end Landon Barnes (Baton Rouge, La.) and running back Damarius Yates (DeKalb, Miss.).

The Rebels, on Wednesday, added five players ranked within the ESPN300, four on the defensive side of the ball: Yates (No. 121), linebacker Ja’Michael Garrett (No. 174; Baton Rouge, La.), cornerback Dorian Barney (No. 175; Carrollton, Ga.), Barnes (No. 266) and safety Craig Tutt (No. 286; Christiana, Tenn.).

2026 OLE MISS FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS

Landon Barnes | DE | 6-4 | 240 | FR-HS | Baton Rouge, La./Duncanville

Dorian Barney | CB | 6-0 | 170 | FR-HS | Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton

Jayden Curtis | DE | 6-3 | 260 | FR-HS | Perkinston, Miss./St. Martin

Ant Davis | LB | 6-1 | 205 | FR-HS | Stockbridge, Ga./Grayson

Emanuel Faulkner | OL | 6-6 | 290 | FR-HS | New Albany, Miss./New Albany

Ja’Michael Garrett | LB | 6-2 | 200 | FR-HS | Baton Rouge, La./Central

Kervin Johnson Jr. | WR | 6-2 | 200 | FR-HS | Tioga, La/Tioga

Ja’Michael Jones | RB | 5-11| 200 | FR-HS | Montgomery, Ala./Pike Road

Victor Lincoln Jr. | CB | 6-0 | 165 | FR-HS | Lancaster, Texas/Duncanville

Kane Mankins | OL | 6-4 | 245 | FR-HS | Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan

Iverson McCoy | CB | 6-0 | 185 | FR-HS | Tupelo, Miss./Tupelo

Nascar McCoy | S | 6-1 | 185 | FR-HS | Atlanta, Ga./Buford

Carmelow Reed | DE | 6-6 | 260 | FR-HS | Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park

Craig Tutt | S | 5-10 | 180 | FR-HS | Christiana, Tenn./Oakland

Braylen Williams | S | 5-11 | 190 | FR-HS | Tupelo, Miss./Tupelo

Rees Wise | QB | 6-0 | 210 | FR-HS | Austin, Texas/Westlake

Damarius Yates | RB | 5-10 | 190 | FR-HS | DeKalb, Miss | Kemper County

If you missed any of the action from National Signing Day (NSD), here’s a glimpse at our new recruits.

https://therebelwalk.com/2025/12/live-updates-ole-miss-football-class-of-2026-early-signing-day-headquarters/

Stay tuned for a detailed breakdown of our incoming class, but I have a feeling we’re not finished yet—Early Signing Period runs through Friday, and there are two key flips to keep an eye on.

Deuce Geralds  4-Star DL, Collins Hill (GA)

Geralds has been on the Rebels’ radar for quite some time, and they have continued to pursue the Ole Miss legacy vigorously despite his current commitment to the Bayou Bengals. Ranked as the No. 54 overall prospect in 2026 and the No. 6 defensive lineman nationally—and No. 7 out of Georgia—he was initially set to sign on Wednesday but opted to delay until Friday due to recent staff changes in Baton Rouge. If Ole Miss can secure his commitment under these circumstances, it would be a significant coup.

Jase Matthews – 4-Star WR, Greene County (MS)

Matthews appeared destined for The Plains ; however, he has decided to postpone his signing day until Friday. This twist adds intrigue as it sets up a potential showdown between Golding’s Ole Miss Rebels and Lane Kiffin’s Bayou Bengals for one of the nation’s top talents. Both teams are making compelling cases for Matthews, each with strong selling points.

While Golding and his team have solidified much of their anticipated recruiting class already, there are still potential flips brewing in this short timeframe. Stay tuned!