Trending or Ending? Ole Miss has several On300 targets on the radar heading into the fall

Ole Miss currently has the No. 22 class in On3’s Team Football Recruiting Rankings. Lane Kiffin and Co., have been adamant about being very selective in the high school ranks. As you know, program has had a ton of success in the NCAA Transfer Portal, so leaving room for those players is crucial to keeping the Rebels among the elite.

But, the high school ranks in the 2025 cycle have been good to Ole Miss. And as August has arrived, the Rebels are poised to potentially add some blue chip prospects to an already balanced, Top 25 class.

Let’s play another game of “Trending or Ending?” as we look at a few On300 recruits who Ole Miss is after.

Auburn commit Deuce Knight (Photo credit: Deuce Knight/Instagram)

4-star QB Deuce Knight – No. 28 overall (Notre Dame commit)

Not sure how much longer Knight will be in the commitment column for the Irish. On3’s Steve Wiltfong entered an RPM pick for the George County (Miss.) signal caller to flip to Auburn. It’s unclear when it will happen, but the Tigers are currently the betting favorite.

Ole Miss is going to continue to recruit him, though. Sources tell OMSpirit it’s Deuce Knight or no one for the Rebels in the 2025 class. He has a great relationship with Kelvin Bolden and Charlie Weis Jr. And he knows the offense caters to his skill set. But, the elephant in the room is the depth chart. Would he be willing to take his time, develop, grow and wait his turn?

For now, though, Knight is ENDING.

Photo by Chad Simmons/On3

4-star RB Akylin Dear – No. 31 overall

Once Dear finally decommitted from Ole Miss, many believed the writing was on the wall for him to commit to Alabama. It’s been over a month since he reopened his recruitment and he’s still undecided.

The longer he stays undecided, the better for Ole Miss. One source told me he might take it easy and just focus on his senior season and deal with his recruitment later. Others say he could be an Alabama commit any day now. I think Dear is honestly a little overwhelmed and is taking time with the process.

For now, I will say things are in NEUTRAL. But, the Crimson Tide are still the team to beat as of this writing.

Ladarian Clardy (1) carries the ball during the Escambia vs Pine Forest football game at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.

4-star S Ladarian Clardy – No. 199 overall

Clardy pushed his commitment back after previously being set to commit last weekend. But, sources are still very confident on the Ole Miss side. Similar sentiment from the Florida State folks I’ve talked to. His parents are big on the family vibe in Oxford, Miss., and the supporting cast he would have if he chose the Rebels.

It’s been a full staff effort for the four-star prospect. Obviously, he has a great relationship with Wes Neighbors and Bryan Brown, but Kevin Smith and Patrick Carter have also been crucial.

My pick has been in for Ole Miss to land Clardy and I still expect Kiffin and his staff to receive good news whenever he declares. This one is TRENDING.

Baylor’s Shekai Mills-Knight (1) escapes a tackle attempt by McCallie’s De’shun Tipton (20) during the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl Division II-AAA championship game at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tenn. on Thursday, Nov 30, 2023.

4-star RB Shekai Mills-Knight – No. 237 overall

The Baylor School (Tenn.) prospect saw his recruitment explode after a huge junior season for the Division II-AAA runner-up in 2023. And this was despite an injury which caused him to miss a few games. Ole Miss jumped into the race first and this has resonated with him throughout his recruitment. Kevin Smith has been a key piece to this one as well as Enrique Davis.

Mills-Knight has been to Oxford, Miss., several times this spring and summer and is set to announce “any day now”, per sources. Juice Fest 24 all but sealed the deal for the Rebels and I expect this one to end before his senior season starts.

Ole Miss is TRENDING big-time here. My pick is in for Ole Miss.