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What you need to know about Ole Miss' 2020 recruiting class
What you need to know about Ole Miss' 2020 recruiting class
Whatever the rankings were? Forget them.
Lane Kiffin, one of the best closers in college football, is about to take Rebels recruiting to a whole other level. Maybe not this year. But soon. That’s the expectation.
This is a transitional class, and it likely will change over the next 3 months as Kiffin sorts through the commitment lists and identifies other targets for his needs.
One positive: He already has 2 starting quarterbacks and a pair of elite running backs on campus, lessening the sense of urgency before the Early Signing Period, which runs Dec. 18-20. Even better: Another 4-star QB is poised to join the mix in case somebody leaves.
Knowing things are sure to change, here’s a look at the Rebels’ 2020 class thus far (rankings courtesy of 247Sports.com):
Rankings
National rank: 37
SEC rank: 11
5-stars: 0
4-stars: 1
3-stars: 15
Best player: 4-star QB Robby Ashford
Ashford is from Alabama prep power Hoover High. He committed in June, obviously to the previous staff, led by Rich Rodriguez.
Other teams are pouncing on the opportunity to poach him.
He’s a dual-threat with size (6-2, 204). Unless Kiffin identifies somebody he likes better, adding Ashford to the mix seems like a natural pairing.
Adding Ashford to a QB room that includes John Rhys Plumlee? That’ll make a lot of coaches happy. Just like Plumlee, Ashford plans to play baseball at Ole Miss, too.
Assessing the QBs
Will anybody leave? That’s always the question any time a new staff arrives.
Kiffin’s background for recruiting and developing QBs is enviable. And the Rebels employed a 2 QB system in 2019.
Will that continue? Or will Kiffin choose between Plumlee and Matt Corral, by then knowing Ashford is on the way.
Biggest need filled
Transitional classes typically are just that — stopgaps not meant to fix glaring holes. But this class includes a couple of need offensive linemen and potentially 2 standout defensive backs.
That includes De’Rickey Wright, who decommitted from Alabama. Listed as an athlete, Wright played several skill positions on both sides of the ball in high school but has said he prefers safety over all of them.
Ole Miss certainly needs help in the secondary. The Rebels, while better overall on defense in 2019, still finished last in the SEC against the pass.
Biggest need that still needs to be filled
This class is small — just 16 commitments — and that could change even more over the next 2 weeks as players and new coaches discuss their best fit.
But this class, as it stands today, is woefully short on defensive line talent. Just 2 of the commits play on the defensive line.
In the SEC West, especially, you can’t go many cycles without replenishing the defensive line talent.
Kiffin reportedly has retained defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre. That should go a long way in helping ease some of the angst on-the-fence recruits might have had about a new staff.
Regardless, this position has to be a short-term priority.
SOURCE: SDS Staff. "What you need to know about Ole Miss' 2020 recruiting class." Saturday Down South, 9 December 2019,
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