Four-Star DL Ben’Jarvius Shumaker Returns to Ole Miss Following Brief Colorado Flip

OXFORD, Miss. — Tuesday was a whirlwind day on the recruiting trail for Ole Miss and one of the state’s top prospects.

Four-star defensive lineman Ben’Jarvius Shumaker put an end to a series of rapid-fire developments Tuesday by reaffirming his commitment to the Rebels after a brief detour that saw him pledge to Colorado earlier in the day.

The Choctaw County standout had announced Monday evening that he planned to remain with Ole Miss and end his recruitment. Less than 24 hours later, he surprised many by switching his commitment to Colorado. By the end of the day, however, Shumaker once again found himself back in the Rebels’ 2027 class.

I apologize for any confusion that may have come over the last several hours. This process has reaffirmed for me that Ole Miss is where I am meant to be. I believe in the vision for the program, the relationships my family and I have built in Oxford, and the opportunity!!🔒🦈 pic.twitter.com/eILZ51cBFv

— 𝙱𝚎𝚗’𝙹𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚞𝚜 𝙹. 𝚂𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛”4🌟” (@BenJarviuxx) June 24, 2026

Following the announcement, Shumaker released a statement explaining his decision.

“First and foremost, I want to thank God, my family, and every coach and program that has invested time, energy, and belief in me throughout this recruiting process,” Shumaker wrote. “The relationships I have built and the opportunities I have been given are something I will never take for granted. After careful thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided to remain committed to Ole Miss and officially shut down my recruitment.

Ben’Jarvius Shumaker from his tweet

While the details behind the back-and-forth movement have not been publicly explained, Ole Miss never appeared to back away from the recruitment. The Rebels continued their efforts behind the scenes and quickly celebrated Shumaker’s return, with coaches and staff members sharing reactions across social media.

Keeping Shumaker in the fold is significant for an Ole Miss class that continues to gain momentum. Recruiting rankings reflected the day’s rollercoaster as Ole Miss slid following Shumaker’s morning departure before climbing back up the board after both Turner’s pledge and Shumaker’s return.

The Rebels now boast 11 composite four-star commitments in the class, continuing a trend that has seen the program steadily elevate its recruiting profile over the last several cycles. Ole Miss has increased its blue-chip talent haul almost every year, building one of the strongest recruiting foundations in program history.

The work, however, is far from finished.

The Rebels remain heavily involved with several highly regarded prospects and are expected to pursue additional blue-chip additions before the summer comes to a close. Ole Miss will be looking to potentially secure commitments from each of Mississippi’s top-ranked prospects before the start of the season.

As always, the next challenge will be making sure those commitments hold all the way through signing day.