Hueytown (Ala.) defensive lineman Donivan Moore trimming his list to six schools won’t break the internet, but it should make one thing clear: Ole Miss is shopping in a different aisle these days.
Moore isn’t just another name on a graphic. He’s the No. 1 player in Alabama. A top‑five defensive lineman nationally in the 2027 class. The kind of prospect who, not long ago, wouldn’t have bothered giving Ole Miss a courtesy glance, much less a spot in his final group alongside LSU, Auburn, Ohio State, Alabama and Texas.
NEWS: Four-Star DL Donivan Moore is down to 6 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
The 6’4 270 DL is ranked as a Top 5 DL in the 2027 Rivals300
Where Should He Go?⁰⁰https://t.co/kYMOAhMQQ8 pic.twitter.com/5HSGEoXsUW
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 30, 2026
Yet here the Rebels are (again) in the thick of a heavyweight recruitment.
Pete Golding has made a habit of this since the offseason began. Moore is simply the latest blue‑chip defender to land on the Rebels’ watch list, joining a growing group of top‑rated targets who suddenly see Oxford as a legitimate destination. Whether it’s the new staff energy, the NIL infrastructure, or Golding’s reputation as a developer of defensive linemen, something is clearly resonating.
Moore’s rise has been meteoric. At 6‑foot‑4 and 280 pounds, he already looks like an SEC starter, and the offers reflect it. LSU, Auburn, Ohio State all jumped in early. Rivals lists him as the No. 5 defensive lineman in the country, and Auburn currently holds the edge, according to Rivals. That’s fine. January favorites don’t always become July commitments.
What matters for Ole Miss is that it’s in the room. Again.
This is the part of recruiting cycles where momentum becomes real. The Rebels’ staff has been everywhere this month, checking in on priority targets and making sure their presence is felt. Moore’s recruitment is another test of whether that effort is translating into traction with the sport’s most coveted players.
Auburn may lead today. Alabama and Texas will have their say. But if Ole Miss wants to keep climbing the SEC ladder, these are the battles it has to keep entering and eventually start winning.
Moore is another name to circle. Another elite defender giving Ole Miss a real look. Another sign that Golding’s board is starting to look like the one he used to build in Tuscaloosa.
And if the Rebels keep stacking these kinds of names, eventually one of them is going to say yes.
