Former LSU-turned JUCO wide receiver Deion Smith to visit Ole Miss Saturday
Deion Smith was one of the top players to enter the transfer portal in 2022. The former LSU wide receiver decided to look elsewhere after Ed Orgeron was relieved of his duties in Baton Rouge. After trying to enroll at Ole Miss and settling at Holmes Community College (Miss.) due to academic issues, he is now back on the Rebels’ radar.
And he will be in Oxford on Saturday for the non-conference showdown with Georgia Tech.
The former four-star prospect from Jackson Academy (Miss.) and was ranked the No. 1 player from the state of Mississippi in the 2021 recruiting class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Smith was coveted by Lane Kiffin and staff back in the recruiting class of 2021 and was trained in high school by former Ole Miss wide receivers Mike Espy and Shay Hodge. At LSU, Smith caught 11 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns in six games.
The former Top 100 prospect will be arguably the biggest name in town this weekend.
Smith was one of the most impressive prospects in the 2021 class. On3 ranked him as the No. 54 overall prospect, the 8th-ranked wideout and the Magnolia State’s top recruit. As a senior, he caught 36 passes for 640 yards and seven touchdowns. On the ground, he added 189 rushing yards, two more scores and 159 kickoff return yards.
In 2019, he was a cheat code. Smith hauled in 43 receptions for 1,059 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also averaged 31.2 yards per punt return and 37.9 per kickoff returns. He was named to the Mississippi 5A All-State First-Team at wide receiver.
Holmes is now 2-0 on the season after defeating Pearl River (Miss.) in week one and East Central (Miss.) Thursday. Smith has 10 receptions for 248 yards and a touchdown. He’s averaging 24.8 yards per catch and 124 yards per game.
Shay Hodge thinks Deion Smith is not only a Power 5 starter but a guy who can play beyond Saturday.
“Kid is a league receiver.”
The former Under Armour All-American will almost certainly be a top target for Kiffin and Ole Miss in the 2024 cycle. Ideally, Smith will finish out the fall at Holmes, get the required credits completed there and enroll at Ole Miss in January. Louisiana Tech transfer Tre Harris is already making an impact for the Rebels and UTSA transfer Zakhari Franklin is expected to be back next week for Alabama.
Adding a player of Smith’s caliber to a room which is loaded with young talent like Cayden Lee and Ayden Williams would really boost an offense which is already one of the most dangerous downfield. The junior college prospect’s strong hands, yards after the catch ability and big play potential would be a tremendous asset to whomever is under center in 2024.
Deion Smith catches a pass in the endzone as The LSU Tigers take on Central Michigan Chippewas in Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.
Lsu Vs Central Michigan V1 7368
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