Every cycle, Mississippi gives us one of those recruitments that feels like it’s going to stretch deep into the fall.
This time, it’s Choctaw County’s Ben’Jarvius Shumaker, a four‑star defensive lineman who’s already turned himself into one of the most important names in the 2027 class. And now he’s officially on the books for an Ole Miss visit, heading to Oxford June 5-7.
Shumaker’s rise hasn’t exactly been quiet. He’s a Top‑50 national prospect, the No. 4 defensive lineman in the country, and he’s pulled offers from just about every program that matters in this part of the world: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M.
LOCKED IN! 👀. @LetsGo_Bo5 @ht_recruiting @RebelsFBRec @drm_12 @CoachGolding @_kbolden @wynnjr90 @ChoctawCountyFB @HaydenHulett @D_Mitchell91 @JuJuSports1 @Rebels247 pic.twitter.com/C5bu3Gr0K0
— 𝙱𝚎𝚗’𝙹𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚞𝚜 𝙹. 𝚂𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛”4🌟” (@BenJarviuxx) February 22, 2026
The list keeps growing, but the tug‑of‑war feels pretty local.
“This is going to be a very important offseason for me,” Shumaker said to Gene’s Page. “There are a lot of decisions that I am going to be having to make. I am going to have to decide on where to go for official visits, combines, etc. This is a time for me and my family to just think about what we think are going to be the best situations for us. I want to be able to be in the best position that I can be in.”
Ole Miss has a couple of things working in its favor.
One is familiarity. Former Choctaw County star Caleb Cunningham is already on campus, and that connection isn’t nothing.
The other is continuity. Defensive line coach Randall Joyner stuck around for 2026, and his relationship with Shumaker has been steady for a while now. Joyner’s been one of the more consistent voices in this recruitment, and that matters when everyone else is trying to get a foot in the door.
But Mississippi State isn’t fading into the background. The Bulldogs are set to host Shumaker as well, and they’ve made it clear he’s one of their top in‑state priorities. It’s shaping up like another classic Ole Miss–Mississippi State recruiting battle.
“I have been enjoying everything during my recruitment,” Shumaker said. “I have been getting visits from different schools. Coaches have been coming by to see me on a regular basis. Ole Miss and Mississippi State both have made their way down to see me. I am excited about being recruited by both schools in the same state where I am playing.”
Ole Miss has been active early, especially coming off a January where Pete Golding and his staff spent a lot of time on the road across Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana. Landing Shumaker would be a statement for that effort.
For now, though, the June visit is the next big checkpoint, and both in‑state programs know exactly what’s at stake.
