From left to right, Ugo Amadi, Armani Linton, Mykleti Williams and Jay Johnson. (Courtesy Rivals.com)
Ole Miss already has two DBs in its 2015 class, along with one athlete who could play safety at the collegiate level. It’s unclear if the Rebels have room for many other defensive backs in this class or if they will mostly be looking to retain the talent they already have committed.
The current commits are headlined by cornerback Ugo Amadi. Ranked as the number 30 cornerback in the country by 247Sports’ composite rankings, the highly touted prospect has been generating a lot of interest from schools outside of Ole Miss and will be taking visits throughout the summer and fall. Despite this, Amadi said in an interview with Rivals.com that he remains 100 percent solid on the commitment to the Rebels he made in March. LSU, Duke, Tennessee and Cincinnati are making strong pushes for the 5-foot-9 corner. If he remains firm in his commitment, he could see special teams and possibly returning duties as a freshman, as well as the possibility of playing defense in his first year.
The other defensive back commitment is Armani Linton. From Walnut, Linton was committed to Mississippi State before flipping to the Rebels after attending a camp at Ole Miss. Unlike Amadi, Linton projects to be a safety instead of a cornerback. Linton, who stands at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, will likely finish the season among the top players in the state of Mississippi, as 247’s composite rankings currently have him as the 20th best player in the state. Linton visited Oxford several times before finally committing this month.
The other possible defensive back in the class also flipped from Mississippi State to Ole Miss after the Rebels camp. Jay Johnson, a 6-foot-3 athlete from Bruce, was previously profiled in this series as a wide receiver, but could end up being a safety at the next level.
Of the prospects whom the Rebels could potentially still land, Mykelti Williams is receiving a lot of interest. A six-foot safety, Williams came all the way from Indianapolis, Ind., to visit Ole Miss on June 10. In an interview with Rivals.com, Williams gave glowing reviews about his time in Oxford and his tour around the campus of Ole Miss. Williams also said Ole Miss has a very good chance at getting his commitment. But Indiana, Mississippi State and his hometown Louisville Cardinals are also among the other schools vying for his services.
Among the other prospects, James Locke, Hunter Dale, Cameron Ordway and J.K. Britt all have interest in the Rebels. Ordway and Britt are both listed as cornerbacks, while Locke and Dale are listed at safety. Britt has visited the Rebels before, but recently told Rivals that Kentucky is his leader. Meanwhile, Dale reportedly received a scholarship offer from the Rebels according to Rivals.com, but is currently being recruited by Indiana.
Of those prospects, Locke and Ordway seem to have the most interest in the Rebels. Ordway visited Ole Miss in March and listed them in the running to land him, but Notre Dame, Florida State, Tennessee, Ohio State also have high interest in the prospect. Meanwhile Locke has offers from all over the country, but has yet to name a leader. Locke spoke well of Ole Miss in an interview with Rivals.com, and said he talked to two coaches about the possibility of playing either safety or cornerback for the Rebels. Locke is receiving interest from a number of top schools however, so he could be a difficult prospect for them to land.
