Ole Miss coach Pete Golding and his staff have the ground running in their first two months on the job.
There wasn’t much of a choice with early national signing day, a run in the College Football Playoff and the transfer portal chaos all happening around the same time Golding was promoted to head coach.
The running isn’t as intense now, but the Rebels’ coaching staff is out running on the recruiting trail and making some great impressions on some of the best recruits.
One of those elite recruits is Antwan Jackson, a 6-foot-6, 225 lbs. EDGE prospect out of White Station (Memphis). Jackson recorded 46 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks in his junior season, catching the eye of some of the biggest programs in the nation.
That includes Ole Miss.
Beyond blessed to receive an offer from The University of Mississippi 🙏🏿🦈 #hoddytoddy @CoachSchoonie @wesyerty24 @WhiteStationFB @ChadSimmons_ @247Hudson @RealCoachCT @CSmithScout @RebelsFBRec @Rivals_HS @Tbritt901 pic.twitter.com/hjWx8fEZ47
— Antwan “T5” Jackson (@OvertimeTwan) October 3, 2025
“Right now, Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia stand out,” Jackson told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “I was at Ole Miss for two games and they have a great atmosphere. The stadium is not as big as others, but the fans are loud and I loved the environment. I like Coach Golding too. He is a great coach.”
In addition to Ole Miss, Arkansas, Boston College, Memphis, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Texas have visited Jackson this week after previous visits from Georgia and Kentucky.
“A lot of coaches have been coming through and offering me,” Jackson said. “Everything has been going up for me in my recruitment — phone calls, texts, coaches coming to see me. It has been a lot.”
Alabama is another school high on Jackson’s list. He visited the school this past season and was in attendance for the Crimson Tide’s loss to Oklahoma in November.
“I love Alabama. They love me too. C Rob (Christian Robinson) and Coach DeBoer are recruiting me hard,” Jackson said. “What stands out is how they recruit me and their tradition. They love football in T-Town. It’s a big football school and they produce players.”
Like many talented recruits, Jackson has a simple goal.
“I want to play in the league one day.”
Ole Miss currently has four defensive ends/edge rushers in the NFL and have solid crop on the roster for the upcoming season with Suntarine Perkins, Kam franklin and Will Echoles likely to land on preseason honors lists.
But Ole Miss isn’t the only school that can offer a path to the NFL.
“Coaches at those schools have experience on their staff and they get guys to the league,” he said. “Arkansas has guys who have coached in the NFL, so I like that a lot. Texas is just a school I have to visit. There is something about Texas. I want to see what it is like there in person.”
It should be a fun couple of months for Jackson, who is eyeing a decision closer to the start of his senior season.
