Oxford Comma: Latest buzz with Ole Miss recruiting, Juice Fest 24 edition

Ole Miss has wrapped up Juice Fest 24. The Rebels hosted several top targets over the weekend and over 300 underclassmen on Saturday for a full day of camp. OMSpirit was on location to gather the latest intel, comings and goings and scoop for some of Ole Miss’ top 2025, 2026 and 2027 targets.

*** Opelousas (La.) EDGE Corey Amos recommitted to Ole Miss Friday. He previously decommitted after being committed for a few months earlier this year. Sources tell OMSpirit he was wanting to take a step back, evaluate all his options and make sure he is making the right decision for him. He arrived in Oxford for the weekend, met with defensive line coach Randall Joyner and Lane Kiffin and announced he was back in the Rebels’ 2025 class.

*** There were some notable no-shows this weekend. Notre Dame QB commit Deuce Knight was unable to attend due to an obligation for his high school team. Thompson (Ala.) EDGE Jared Smith opted to visit Auburn instead. Quitman (Miss.) RB and former Ole Miss commit Akylin Dear chose to travel to Alabama. 2026 Brandon (Miss.) cornerback and double Ole Miss legacy Preston Ashley chose to see Florida State this weekend. And 2026 Mission Viejo (Calif.) teammates Luke Fahey and Vance Spafford did not make the trip for the camp.

*** Speaking of Knight, I spoke at length with Alabama commit Caleb Cunningham Saturday. The five-star wideout tells me he and Knight talk a good bit about college and what the future holds for them. Cunningham was candid we discussing his interest in Ole Miss. This one seems like an Alabama/Ole Miss battle. He tells me he is “probably” only going to take two official visits this fall: Alabama and Ole Miss. He said Auburn wants him to visit and Mississippi State is coming after him hard, but for now it’s just the Crimson Tide and the Rebels. If I was an Ole Miss fan, I would be cautiously optimistic about both Knight and Cunningham.

*** And also, I mentioned Akylin Dear, I am getting some mixed reviews on him and his candidacy to return to Ole Miss’ 2025 class. Some sources think he will eventually recommit to Ole Miss before national signing day. Other sources are unsure if he will be back in the fold.

*** The running back room should add some punch in the 2025 class, though. Baylor School (Tenn.) RB Shekai Mills-Knight was in town and all signs point to the Rebels. Mills-Knight and I talked a good bit during the private workout portion of Saturday’s camp. He is a huge fan of Kevin Smith and seems to be indebted to him for being the first to “believe in him”. Sources say a decision could come in the “next week or so”. My RPM pick is in for Ole Miss and I have upped the confidence to 90 percent.

*** 2026 Folsom (Calif.) QB Ryder Lyons was also in attendance this weekend. He brought his whole family with him. Everyone seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their time in Oxford and were being escorted around by the Ole Miss staff damn near the entire time I was around Friday and Saturday. He can REALLY spin it and made some really good throws in the 1v1 drills. The accuracy is impressive and you can see he already has a mature game, showcasing his footwork throughout the day. Ole Miss, Oregon and Southern Cal are the early favorites.

*** Another 2026 QB was competing this weekend. Archbishop Riordan (Calif.) Michael Mitchell Jr., was in Oxford with his family. It was his first time in Mississippi and he had a great time. He tells OMSpirit he is currently focused on Arkansas, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Mitchell was also very impressive in drills. His ball placement was superb and coaches were interacting with him plenty after some big-time throws.

*** He wasn’t at Juice Fest 24, but Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla.) WR Koby Howard seems to be trending away from Ole Miss. An industry source told me it seems the Rebels are looking a different direction at the position. Howard was at Penn State this weekend and another industry source tells me James Franklin and the Nittany Lions could be the team to beat now. My RPM pick is on Ole Miss, but I am close to flipping it to PSU.

*** 2027 Madison Central (Miss.) RB Mikel Stephen Jr., received an offer Saturday after his impressive performance during camp. He recently transferred from Gainesville (Ga.) and should help the Jaguars compete for a 7A state title in 2024. One source told me “he’s that good”.

*** Another camp offer went out to 2026 Douglas County (Ga.) cornerback Robert Tyson. It happened right in front of me after an excellent play in coverage in the red zone. Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Bryan Brown extended the Ole Miss offer after the play. He and Pete Golding shared a moment, nodding their heads at each other. He’s a name to watch.

*** Ole Miss commits Jarcoby Hopson, Cortez Thomas, Hayden Bradley and Talib Graham were also in town. All were having a great time and tell me they are solely focused on building the 2025 class out.

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