Whenever a coaching staff goes through as much turnover as Ole Miss has this offseason, the conversation usually tilts toward what’s been lost.
Worries pile up, concerns get repeated, and the positives tend to get pushed to the background. But those positives are still there, like new assistant coaches immediately putting Ole Miss in the mix for an elite 2027 tight end.
Hun School (N.J.) tight end Tommy Douglas is the latest example of what Ole Miss’ revamped staff is already doing on the trail. New tight ends coach Cody Woodiel, who had been recruiting Douglas while at Miami, wasted no time reconnecting after arriving in Oxford and has now officially extended an offer to the 6‑foot‑5, 225‑pound prospect.
After a great conversation with @CoachWoodiel I am blessed to receive an offer from Ole Miss!!@Red_Zone75 @Tonyrazz03 @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @BrianDohn247 @SWiltfong_ pic.twitter.com/92igTzPOPI
— Tommy Douglas (@TDouglas1249) March 3, 2026
Douglas is one of the most heavily pursued tight ends in the 2027 class, holding more than 40 offers from programs like Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and USC. He spent last fall bouncing around the country on game‑day visits to Rutgers, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Virginia and even made a pre‑dead‑period stop at Penn State.
Had an amazing time at Penn State this weekend for their Junior Day! Thank you to everyone on staff for the hospitality!@CoachMC_PSU @T_Mouser @CoachGriff46 @DerekHoodjer @CoachSHuggins pic.twitter.com/6VxJcJJAMH
— Tommy Douglas (@TDouglas1249) January 26, 2026
The Princeton native sits No. 411 nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, No. 28 among tight ends, and a top‑10 player in New Jersey, with Rivals itself slotting him even higher at No. 24 among tight ends.
His junior season was limited to four games on a national schedule, but he still turned 13 catches into 274 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 21 yards per grab.
The production isn’t the full story anyway. Coaches love the frame, the athleticism, and the upside.
And it’s not hard to see where the football instincts come from: Douglas grew up around the sport, with his father, Joe Douglas, serving as the New York Jets’ general manager from 2019-24 and now working in Philadelphia’s front office. Considering Ole Miss Head Coach of Offense Joe Judge was coaching across town during that time with the Giants, there might be a connection there that can work in the Rebels’ favor.
All of that makes him a high‑level target, and Ole Miss getting in early under a new staff is exactly the kind of positive that tends to get overlooked when turnover becomes the headline.
