Ole Miss Football: Top 3 early targets in 2022 recruiting class

Ole Miss football’s recruiting improved tremendously in the first year of Lane Kiffin and he is hoping to have even more success in 2022.

There’s no question, Lane Kiffin has restored the excitement in Oxford. After some mediocre seasons under Matt Luke, Kiffin was hired and immediately got the most out of his roster.

The Rebels went bowling after finishing the regular season 4-5 and they beat a solid Indiana team to finish the season with a .500 record. Kiffin has to be happy with how the first season played out and he has to be even more excited about the future with the No. 17 recruiting class in the country being signed in 2021.

Luke signed the No. 34 class the year before Kiffin got there, so a 17-spot improvement is quite the head-turner.

Will Kiffin fare even better in the 2022 class?


3. SHAZZ PRESTON
WR Saint James (La.)
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If Ole Miss wants to reel Shazz Preston in with the 2022 class, it’ll have to beat out in-state rival Mississippi State which has been considered one of the favorites for the four-star from Louisiana.

Being from Louisiana and also being one of the best prospects in the 2022 class, you can already imagine that LSU is right up there in his top schools and the Tigers are. Ed Orgeron will be tough to beat out here, especially since he can sell the “if you want to play in the NFL, come here” pitch for a young wide receiver. Just look at the guys LSU has had over the past few years.

Lane Kiffin, however, is also making a strong push and is high up on his list. He’ll have to battle it out with some big dogs in LSU, Mississippi State and Alabama.

Preston is the No. 67 prospect in the 2022 class and ninth-best receiver, according to the composite. He’ll be a game-changer wherever he goes but Ole Miss could use him immediately.

2. GAVIN WIMSATT
QB Owensboro (Ky.)
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Any quarterback that wants to play college football at a high level and who watched Ole Miss last year had to realize that Lane Kiffin knows how to develop talented passers. He took Matt Corral who had been largely disappointing under Matt Luke and turned him into one of the most prolific passers in the country. He’s going to be an early Heisman candidate in 2021.

Well, Gavin Wimsatt seems to have liked what he’s seen and the Rebels are one of his top schools along with Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Notre Dame, Rutgers and West Virginia.

Wimsatt is ranked the No. 72 prospect in the country and he’s the third-best dual-threat, according to the composite. Seeing how Corral, also a dual-threat, has developed under Kiffin has to be a major draw and he could be the heir apparent to the talented Ole Miss quarterback. Plus, who wouldn’t want to lead a prolific offense like Ole Miss’ which lets a quarterback play with freedom?

The in-state schools are in a good spot with Wimsatt, but Ole Miss is one of two SEC teams on the list and might be the most attractive in terms of offensive philosophy.

If Wimsatt doesn’t work out, Ole Miss is also high on four-star Tennessee-native Ty Simpson, but he looks to be ready to commit to Clemson.

1. KHAMAURI ROGERS
CB Lexington (Miss.)
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Three teams are already standing out above the rest of Khamauri Rogers, led by Ole Miss, Miami and Mississippi State. LSU may also be in the running, but Ole Miss currently looks like the leader in this recruitment for a top in-state cornerback.

Winning this recruiting battle would be huge for Lane Kiffin in the state of Mississippi.

It’s no secret that Ole Miss needs plenty of help on the defensive side of the ball. Teams were able to march up and down the field on the Rebels last season and that led to each of their five losses. If Ole Miss had a competent defense, it probably would have won at least 7-8 games. Sometimes that’s the difference between an average team and a really good one.

Rogers could come in and compete for a starting spot right away in Oxford. Playing immediately has to be the biggest draw because, well, he would arguably be the most talented defensive back on the roster right away.

The four-star cornerback is ranked the No. 61 prospect in the class and seventh-best at his position while also being Mississippi’s No. 1 recruit, per the composite. A must-get for Kiffin.

SOURCE: Muldowney, Connor. "Ole Miss Football: Top 3 early targets in 2022 recruiting class." Fansided - Saturday Blitz, 20 February 2021, https://saturdayblitz.com/2021/02/20/ole-miss-football-top-early-targets-2022-recruiting-class/3/