Van Jefferson from Brentwood, Tennessee commits to play at Ole Miss. Courtesy: 247sports.com
With the 2015 National Signing Day just eight days away, the Ole Miss football coaching staff lead by head coach Hugh Freeze seems poised to pull another huge class. After a big weekend with a number of recruits on campus, the Rebels look to be in good standing with some of the nation’s top players.
One of the biggest stories of the weekend was the Rebels getting a commitment from wide receiver Van Jefferson from Brentwood, Tenn. Jefferson, who is listed at six feet two inches tall and ranked as the 11th wide receiver by 247 Sports’ composite rankings, had been previously committed to the Georgia Bulldogs. Oklahoma and Florida were both making strong pushes for Jefferson, but the Rebels managed to secure the lead after his visit. In an interview with 247 Sports, Jefferson said he waited to commit to the Rebels until after his father supported the decision.
The Rebels other big target at wide receiver is Damarkus Lodge of Cedar Hill, Texas. The six foot two inch Lodge is one of the best receivers in the country, ranked as the 6th wide receiver and the 43rd ranked player in the nation by 247 Sports’ composite rankings. Lodge is highly sought after by several top programs in the country such as LSU, Texas A&M and Michigan, but has said that Ole Miss is his current leader. After his visit, Lodge seems to be set on coming to Ole Miss, but it appears he may wait until National Signing Day to announce his official decision.
The Rebels look solid at the other skill positions too. Quarterback Jason Pellerin also visited over the weekend and appears even stronger in his commitment to Ole Miss. The dual-threat quarterback had some interest from the in-state LSU Tigers as well, but seems set on coming to Oxford. He even took some time to try and convince Lodge to sign with the Rebels on February 4th. Pellerin is expected to join junior college transfer Chad Kelly as the second quarterback in the 2015 class, but unlike Kelly, will enroll at Ole Miss in the fall.
At running back, Ole Miss seems content with runningback Eric Swinney from Tyrone, Ga. Swinney is listed at five feet ten inches, 188 pounds and could potentially add a change of pace to the Rebels backfield next season. A running back like Swinney will be sorely needed with current Rebel backs I’Tavius Mathers and Mark Dodson recently announcing their transfers to Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Memphis, respectively. Swinney is ranked as the 13th running back and 122nd player in the nation by 247 Sport’s composite rankings, and held offers from Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee, but has been committed to the Rebels since May.
Look for further recruiting updates throughout the week as we get closer to finding out what freshman will be playing for Ole Miss in the fall.
