Ole Miss football vs. Tulane in the First Round of the College Football Playoffs in Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, MS. | Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss football vs. Tulane in the First Round of the College Football Playoffs in Vaught Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, MS. | Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Exploring Rare Two-Sport Path With WR Tyler Fryman

BY Taylor Hodges

College football recruiting is full of oddities, but a real two‑sport athlete, someone who legitimately plans to play both at the next level, is still one of the rarest things you’ll find.

Ole Miss might be stepping into that lane with four‑star wide receiver Tyler Fryman, and it’s a storyline that feels a little old‑school in the best way.

Fryman isn’t just another wideout with a baseball background. He’s been committed to Louisville baseball since eighth grade, long before most kids even know what position they’ll play in high school. That commitment came after a standout camp performance, and he still speaks about the Cardinals’ program with real appreciation.

But football has changed the equation. His recruitment on the gridiron has exploded over the last year, and he’s made it clear he wants to play both sports in college.

That’s where Ole Miss enters the picture. Oxford is a place where football and baseball both matter, and where the idea of a two‑sport athlete doesn’t feel far‑fetched.

As a junior, Fryman put up the kind of numbers that get SEC staffs moving. He caught 45 passes for 1,023 yards and 18 touchdowns, then added 277 rushing yards and three more scores on just 17 carries. He’s ranked as a top‑200 national prospect and one of the best receivers in the 2027 class.

The offer list reflects that rise. Notre Dame, Kentucky, Louisville, Arizona State, Purdue, Memphis, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Wake Forest among others.

Ole Miss wide receivers coach L’Damian Washington jumped in about two weeks ago, and his Kentucky ties give the Rebels a foothold. Washington was on the Wildcats’ coaching staff last season, and Fryman already knew him well.

“Coach Washington, he used to be the receiver’s coach at Kentucky this past season and he just reached back out to me after he got the Ole Miss job,” Fryman said to Rebels247. “We’ve been communicating since…Just keeping me up in the mix of everything. (He’s) reaching out and seeing how everything’s going. Just maintaining the relationship and checking in.”

And when it comes to the two‑sport dream, Ole Miss checks a box few schools can.

“They’ve had great players come out in the past. It’s obviously a tradition there (in Oxford) — football and baseball. Baseball’s great there too,” Fryman said. “I love what they’re about, they’re competitive and they like to win. Obviously in the SEC, so a major conference too.”

On the diamond, he’s just as productive with 46 hits, 29 RBI, four home runs, a .438 average last spring. He’s not choosing between sports because he doesn’t want to.

“I’d definitely say I love both sports (in general). I’ve been playing both sports my whole life,” he said. “It’s whatever the season is. I just try to have fun with it for as long as I can and hopefully I can keep that up in college.”

His early leaders are Notre Dame, Kentucky, Louisville and Purdue, and he hasn’t set any spring or summer visits yet. But if Ole Miss wants to make a move, the pitch is simple: come to a place where playing both sports isn’t just allowed, it’s embraced.

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