Inside Ole Miss Football’s Defensive Recruiting Board: Top 2027 Targets at Every Position

OXFORD, Miss. — As head coach Pete Golding and the Rebels continue spring practice ahead of the 2026 season, the recruiting trail continues to be another area of heavy interest from the staff.

This time period is when the staff makes the biggest impact on recruits by reaching out and initiating contact early and securing visits from prospective players in an effort to get them comfortable on campus as soon as possible.

With hundreds of targets, the Rebels need only secure a small fraction of them to successfully build on last season’s success. But as a former defensive coordinator and now a defense-driven head coach, Golding looks to communicate his vision to as many top defensive prospects as possible.

Here are the top 10 recruits at every defensive position that Golding and the staff are currently targeting.

Edge rushers

• No. 1 EDGE David Jacobs, Roswell, GA. (Ohio State commit)
• No. 2 EDGE Zyron Forstall, New Orleans, LA. (Texas A&M commit)
• No. 3 EDGE Anhtony Sweeney, Olney, MD.
• No. 7 EDGE Mekai Brown, Greenwich, CT.
• No. 8 EDGE Abraham Sesay, Downingtown, PA.
• No. 9 EDGE Rashad Streets, Raleigh, NC. (Oregon commit)
• No. 10 EDGE JaBarrius Garror, Mobile, AL.
• No. 11 EDGE Frederick Ards III, Orlando, FL.
• No. 16 EDGE Cameron Hall, Arlington, TX. (Texas commit)
• No. 18 EDGE Brayden Booth, San Antonio, TX

With the No. 1-ranked edge rusher in the class, David Jacobs, having a field goal block as the first highlight in his junior season reel, that should tell fans everything they need to know about the explosive, aggressive defensive end.

Jacobs is currently committed to Ohio State, but with plenty of time left before the pen hits paper, the Rebels will hope to flip the No. 3-rated prospect in the nation in an attempt to get the Georgia native to stay closer to home.

Staying even closer to home could be JaBarrius Garror, though. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder decomitted from Alabama just over a week ago and will now look to explore other options, with Ole Miss in the mix for the South Alabama native.

Defensive linemen

• No. 1 DL Jalen Brewster, Cedar Hill, TX. (Texas Tech commit)
• No. 2 DL Marcus Fakatou, Chatsworth, CA.
• No. 3 DL Kasi Currie, Chatsworth, CA.
• No. 5 DL Ben’Jarvius Shumaker, Ackerman, MS. (Ole Miss commit)
• No. 6 DL Mitchell Turner, Louisville, MS.
• No. 7 DL Sam LeJeune, Poplarville, MS.
• No. 8 DL Donivan Moore, Bessemer, AL. (Auburn commit)
• No. 9 DL George Toia, Trophy Club, TX.
• No. 11 DL Zane Rowe, Little Elm, TX. (Oregon commit)
• No. 17 DL Brayden Parks, Chicago, IL.

The Rebels already hold the commitments of Ben’Jarvius Shumaker and the No. 31-ranked defensive lineman in the class in Jamarkus Pittman. Together, the pair could make an early impact as soon as they arrive on campus.

Shumaker, at 6-foot-2, 260 pounds, has an impressive ability to disrupt both the run and the pass by forcing his way up the middle, allowing him to be one of the primary factors in shutting plays down right off the bat.

Although not necessary, Ole Miss will likely push to add a third defensive lineman to the class, specifically with the addition of Mitchell Turner, another Mississippi native. He seems to be an early Alabama lead, but the Rebels will certainly make a push.

Linebackers

• No. 1 LB Kaden Henderson, Tampa, FL.
• No. 2 LB Cooper Witten, Argyle, TX. (Oklahoma commit)
• No. 3 LB Omarii Sanders, Nashville, TN. (Vanderbilt commit)
• No. 6 LB Isaac McNeil, Mobile, AL.
• No. 7 LB AJ Randle Jr., Garner, NC.
• No. 9 LB Joakim Gouda, Douglasville, GA.
• No. 10 LB Roman Igwebuike, Chicago, IL.
• No. 11 LB Kenneth Simon II, Brentwood, TN.
• No. 13 LB Jermiah Culpepper, LaGrange, GA.
• No. 18 LB Jalaythan Mayfield, Lincolnton, NC.

Ole Miss appears to be an early lead for Kenneth Simon II, whose father played for Tennessee. Alabama and the Rebels have made the hardest pushes for the No. 11 linebacker in the class thus far.

Isaac McNeil would be another good addition for the Rebels, and he also happens to go to the same high school as Garror. If Ole Miss could manage to secure one of them, the odds would surely rise for the other, even if it just gives the Rebels a slight edge.

Jalaythan Mayfield, though leaning towards Auburn early on, has been a priority for the Rebels, as he’s been one of the few top linebackers to have actually gotten on campus so far. His ranking as the No. 13 linebacker in the class doesn’t do him justice or speak enough about how fast and impressive his reaction and overall speed is.

Cornerbacks

• No. 2 CB Joshua Dobson, Cornelius, NC.
• No. 3 Donte Wright, Long Beach, CA. (Georgia commit)
• No. 4 CB Hayden Stepp, Las Vegas, NV.
• No. 6 CB Gabriel Osborne Jr., Oklahoma City, OK.
• No. 7 CB Xavier Hasan, Raleigh, NC. (Notre Dame commit)
• No. 9 CB Ai’King Hall, Dothan, AL. (Oregon commit)
• No. 10 CB Danny Lang, Santa Ana, CA. (USC commit)
• No. 11 CB Aaryn Washington, Bradenton, FL. (USC commit)
• No. 12 CB Ace Alston, Cincinnati, OH. (Notre Dame commit)
• No. 13 CB Allen Evans, Louisville, KY. (Louisville commit)

The Rebels will need to start making moves with some cornerbacks if they want to secure one or a couple of top commitments. Many of the defensive backs committed relatively early on, but as we know, there are always flips.

Ai’King Hall seemed to be one of the more realistic corners that could ultimately end up in Oxford, but with a recent commitment to the Ducks, he’s basically out of the picture, unless the Rebels decide to make a huge push and attempt to flip him.

Hayden Stepp, from Nevada, seems interested in making a cross-country move, with Alabama and Clemson leading the way. If the Rebels made a strong push for the talented defensive back, who knows what could happen.

Joshua Dobson, the No. 1 cornerback in the class, is still uncommitted, leaving Ole Miss with an opportunity to make a push.  South Carolina is the clear frontrunner in his recruitment, though, and could likely stay that way.

Safeties

• No. 1 S Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, San Diego, CA. (USC commit)
• No. 5 S Ta’Shawn Poole, Macon, GA.
• No. 10 S Tavares Harrington, Chicago, IL.
• No. 12 S Gavin Williams, La Verne, CA.
• No. 15 S Jernard Albright, Springfield, GA. (South Carolina commit)
• No. 16 S Zayden Gamble, Fort Lauderdale, FL.
• No. 19 S Marquis Bryant, Rolesville, NC.
• No. 20 S Adryan Cole, Douglasville, GA.
• No. 21 S Junior Tu’upo, Alabaster, AL.
• No. 22 S Kennedy Green, Mableton, GA.

Safeties have also been a bit more underrecruited position as of yet, with Adryan Cole being the only safety on the list to have made a trip to campus. He seems to be leaning towards the in-state Bulldogs, but Ole Miss is nowhere near out of the picture.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound safety has the length and vision to excel all over the field, whether it be in man or zone coverage. The Rebels will need to make a strong push if they want to earn a commitment, though, as Florida and Georgia are the ones to beat.

Ole Miss could get even more length and talent if it could lure Junior Tu’upo from a state over. Tu’upo has been heavy on Alabama and Auburn, but his recruitment is still wide open, leaving space for the Rebels to jump in.

Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all the latest on recruiting!