July 1 is shaping up to be one of the more interesting days of the summer for Ole Miss recruiting.
Two major targets are set to announce their commitments, and while the Rebels are in the mix for both, the predictions for Jayden Anding and Tae Walden Jr. look very different heading into decision day.
Rivals Summer Signing Day🗓️
Several top uncommitted recruits will announce their decisions live on the Rivals YouTube channel on July 1.
Details: https://t.co/sgIx3T4djL pic.twitter.com/gtNQWOn4yG
— Rivals (@Rivals) June 29, 2026
The long shot with familiar ties
Ruston safety Jayden Anding’s recruitment isn’t complicated. His brother plays at LSU. He grew up in Louisiana. He’s talked openly about how long he’s imagined playing for the Tigers. And as 12:30 p.m. Wednesday approaches, nothing has really changed that.
Ole Miss made this one interesting, though.
Frank Wilson jumped back into Louisiana recruiting the moment he arrived in Oxford, and his relationship with Anding carried over from their time together in Baton Rouge.
Rivals’ @SWiltfong_ and @samspiegs have logged expert predictions for LSU to land 2027 4-star safety Jayden Anding🐯
Read: https://t.co/V2vuVYwjnT pic.twitter.com/c4pFCU16oZ
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 25, 2025
“Ole Miss has a great coaching staff, and I feel like I’d fit well in their system,” Anding said to On3. “I like the energy around the program and the way they develop players. They made me feel like a priority from the beginning, and I built some strong relationships there. I love Oxford. It’s a very nice place.”
The Rebels did everything right. They just may not be able to overcome the LSU connection. Heading into Wednesday, Anding appears set on staying home.
The one Ole Miss has a real shot to land
If Anding is the uphill climb, Walden is the one Ole Miss has been circling for weeks.
The four-star athlete from Collierville became one of the Rebels’ top remaining priorities after his official visit earlier this month. Ole Miss surged at the right time, pushing past Georgia and Auburn and putting itself in position to win this recruitment.
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— Tae Walden Jr 4⭐️ (@Erikwaldenjr) June 17, 2026
Oregon, though, is the late challenger. The Ducks got the final official visit, and they enter decision day as the perceived favorite. Still, Ole Miss is very much in this one.
Sco 🦆🦆 pic.twitter.com/xR5EvjBIRB
— Tae Walden Jr 4⭐️ (@Erikwaldenjr) June 21, 2026
Walden is the type of two-way player who changes a class.
He totaled 1,462 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns on offense last season, then added 28 tackles, 17 pass breakups and five interceptions on defense.
Ole Miss is recruiting him with the chance to play both wide receiver and cornerback, and he fits the mold of the versatile, high-upside athletes Pete Golding has stacked in the 2027 class.
If the Rebels win one of these two battles, Walden is the more likely outcome.
The big picture for Ole Miss still looks good
Here’s the part that matters most: Ole Miss is already sitting on a program-record 13 blue-chip commitments in the 2027 class. That’s the foundation. That’s the momentum. And that’s why Wednesday feels more like an opportunity than a pressure point.
Landing one or both of Anding and Walden would bolster that status. Missing on both wouldn’t change the direction of the class.
Ole Miss is recruiting at a level it hasn’t touched before, and the story of the 2027 class won’t end on July 1.
It’s already shaping up to be one of the best groups the program has ever signed, no matter how tomorrow plays out.
