Ole Miss is spending the week in Puerto Rico, but the recruiting calendar doesn’t stop just because the team is off the mainland.
Chris Beard and his staff still don’t have a high school commitment on the board for the next two signing classes, which means every new development matters, especially when it involves a top‑25 player in the 2028 class.
Antoine Caughman is one of those players. He’s the No. 21 overall prospect in the Rivals150, a 6‑foot‑5 guard who’s moving to Oak Hill Academy and already looks the part of a national recruit.
He put up 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 stocks per game on the Adidas 3SSB 16U circuit, and he talks about his game with the confidence you expect from someone who knows he’s trending up.
“I could describe my game as a person who can do everything,” Caughman told On3’s Jamie Shaw. “I’m long, so I use my wingspan with everything. I can play the two or the one; I can make shots or get my teammates involved.” He also said he’s more comfortable handling the ball now and watches LeBron James and Anthony Edwards “a couple of times a day,” calling both of them “dogs.”
Ole Miss is already in the mix. Caughman listed offers from the Rebels, South Carolina, Indiana, UCLA, Sacramento State, Charlotte and others. He’s been on campus at Ole Miss and South Carolina, and his comments about the Rebels were honest but encouraging.
“We talk some, but they really talk more to my mom,” Caughman said. “They’re not really good right now, but they have a chance to get a lot better. They have a great coach, and I know he runs a great program. And they really like me.”
That’s the kind of quote you file away. He didn’t visit for a game, but he walked around campus, saw the arena, met the staff and came away impressed with the size of the building and the way fans show up.
“It really gets packed out there,” he said. “Their fans come and support.”
Ole Miss needs players who see the long‑term picture, and Caughman fits that mold. Beard has spent the last two cycles building through the portal, but the high school pipeline has to start producing again.
A top‑25 guard who can play on or off the ball, defend with length and create his own shot is exactly the type of piece that changes the trajectory of a class.
The Rebels are in Puerto Rico this week trying to get better on the court. Back home, the recruiting work keeps stacking up.
Caughman isn’t close to a decision, but Ole Miss is in the conversation, and that’s where the staff needs to be right now.
