Ole Miss has been in the mix for Marion (Ark.) running back Jeremiah Dent for a while, but the coaching change from Lane Kiffin to Pete Golding didn’t hurt the Rebels. In fact, it may have helped.
Dent released his Top 8 on Wednesday, and Ole Miss sits firmly in that group alongside Miami, Arkansas, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Iowa, North Carolina and Arizona State. For a prospect who’s been to Oxford more than 10 times, the shift in leadership seems to have made the program feel more stable, not less.
#AGTG Blessed to have been recruited among of the best programs and best coaches! After late night thoughts, and talks with my family and coaches, this will be my Top 8! This is the only beginning to a closer dream, Thank you! #ReptheM @LanceClark3 @TateBenton @ChadSimmons_… pic.twitter.com/poRzd2mA4z
— 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐡 “𝐉3” 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐭 ✞ 2027 (@JeremiahD2027) February 25, 2026
“Ole Miss made my Top 8 because that’s the school who have been the most consistent with me and I visited them so much, it’s like why not put them in when I visited over 10 times,” Dent said to Rivals. “This staff is actually more bought in and ready to work! The last staff, I barely saw Lane (Kiffin) make an impact at practice. Sometimes I saw him be unfocused or doing something else rather than being dialed in practice.”
That’s a pretty harsh critique of the Rebels’ former coach, but also explains why LSU didn’t make the cut. Dent also had some positive things to say about the current Ole Miss coaching staff.
“I love how Frank Wilson drops ball game knowledge and seeing the running backs he coaches and I can be the next one means a lot,” Dent said. “Pete Golding is just gold! Nothing more, nothing less.”
With his top eight schools decided, Dent will now start scheduling and taking official visits. He currently doesn’t have one for Ole Miss, but it’d be a surprise if that didn’t change. He does have two visits already scheduled.
Arkansas, Auburn and North Carolina are the schools that have already scheduled visits with Dent.
“Arkansas and what Coach Silverfield is pushing amazes me,” Dent said to Rivals Steve Wiltfong. “The staff is phenomenal and what he brought in! I gotta give my home state a chance and to really dive in to see!
“To be able to get coached from one of the greatest coaches will be phenomenal!” he said of Bill Belichick. “What (running backs) Coach (Natrone) Means is producing and sending to the NFL is matching my caliber! To be able to use my skill set to go out to receiver as well really means a lot and my versatility matches their offense!”
Ole Miss is the school that survived a coaching change and still made his Top 8 because the new staff didn’t just maintain the relationship, but improved it.
For a player who averaged nearly 10 yards per carry as a junior and scored 19 touchdowns on the ground, that kind of trust matters.
Dent’s recruitment is far from over, but the fact that Ole Miss is still sitting comfortably in the picture says plenty about how quickly Golding’s staff has reshaped the program’s footing with key targets.
Ole Miss Scheduled Official Visits
May 29: Ai’King Hall, CB
May 29-31: Sheldon Isaac, WR
May 29-31: Miguel Whitley, WR
June 5-7: Ben’Jarvius Shumaker, DL
June 5: Tra’Von Hall (Committed to Oklahoma)
June 5-7: Antwan Jackson, EDGE
June 5-7: Mitchell Turner, DL
June 5-7: Benny Easter Jr., WR (Committed to Texas Tech)
June 12-14: Li’Marcus “BUG” Jones, OL
June 12-14: Keysan Taylor, EDGE
June 12-14: Cain Van Norden, DL
June 19-21: Caden Moss , OL
June 19-21: Elijah Cox, EDGE
June 19-21: Marvin Nguetsop, EDGE
