Ole Miss Rebels coach Pete Golding on the stage at a press conference with Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal
Ole Miss Rebels coach Pete Golding on the stage at a press conference with Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal for the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. | Taylor Graham-HottyToddy.com Images

Recruiting Update: Rebels Still in Pursuit of Texas Tech WR Commit

BY Taylor Hodges

Ole Miss has been involved in plenty of big recruiting battles over the years, but the chase for Benny Easter Jr. feels like one of the defining storylines of this cycle.

Anytime a program gets a real shot at a top‑25 national prospect who’s already committed elsewhere, it becomes a measuring‑stick moment. And that’s exactly what the Rebels are walking into with Easter.

The four‑star wideout is one of the pillars of Texas Tech’s 2027 class, a group sitting at No. 4 nationally and carrying plenty of momentum after last season’s CFP appearance.

Easter was an early priority for Joey McGuire’s staff, and he didn’t hesitate to jump on board during a standout junior year at Humble (Texas) Summer Creek.

“Everything is going well with Tech and with what they’re building,” Easter told Rivals. “They made it to the Playoff this year and came up short. We’ve got a lot of firepower coming in my class and the class coming in this year, and the program coming up. They’re ready to compete with anybody and everybody.”

“I’m very excited about it,” he added. “So much respect for these guys finding talent like me. I’m happy to be a part of the family.”

But even with that level of comfort in Lubbock, the door hasn’t closed. Far from it actually.

Programs across the country have kept pushing, and Easter has responded by lining up a full slate of official visits. LSU on April 17, Ohio State on May 29, Ole Miss on June 5, Texas Tech on June 12, and Alabama on June 19.

“They’re putting in the effort to get me to flip,” Easter said. “I’m locked in (with Texas Tech). I just need to see these schools.”

LSU has surged since offering in January and will get the first official. Ohio State’s track record at wide receiver speaks for itself, and that offer clearly resonated. Alabama is Alabama, the standard, as Easter put it, and the Tide aren’t backing off.

And then there’s Ole Miss, the program that’s been quietly but steadily positioning itself for this exact opportunity. L’Damian Washington has made Easter one of his top priorities in Texas, and the relationship shows.

“I love Ole Miss,” Easter said. “I’m very close with Coach Washington. He’s made me a big priority and he’s been showing me the same things about how I’d fit into their schemes, allowing me to play early, and that’s big for me.”

The June 5 visit in Oxford sits in a sweet spot. It’s early enough to make an impression, late enough that Easter will have context from other trips.

And with Texas Tech hosting him the very next weekend, Ole Miss has a chance to plant something he’ll carry into that return visit to Lubbock.

This is the kind of recruitment that can swing late, and Ole Miss is right where it needs to be heading into the spring.

The Rebels aren’t just hanging around. They’re in it.

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