Ole Miss still has work to finish in the 2027 signing class, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at how quickly the staff has jumped into 2028.
Two commitments are already on the board, and both came from in‑state prospects: McComb wide receiver Latedrick Mallard and Antavion Allen, the No. 2 player in Mississippi.
That’s not just early momentum. It’s a sign that the recruiting success Pete Golding had in his first offseason as head coach isn’t slowing down.
And if you look at who Ole Miss is involved with next, the pattern is pretty familiar.
Braxton Rein is already treating Ole Miss like a serious contender
Rein is one of the top tight ends in the 2028 class, a four‑star with more than 30 offers and a national ranking inside the Rivals top 150. He’s still sorting through everything, but Ole Miss has positioned itself well.
He’s visited Oxford multiple times. He’s kept Ole Miss high on his list even after staff turnover. And he’s hearing from the Rebels as much as anyone, according to Rivals’ Chad Simmons.
Alabama is pushing. Florida is pushing. Notre Dame is pushing. But Ole Miss is one of the programs that has made the strongest impression, and that matters when you’re talking about a tight end who can play anywhere in the country.
Rein will take a fall visit to Notre Dame during Baylor’s bye week, but the Rebels are firmly in the mix heading into the season.
Zaiden Jernigan has Ole Miss near the top
If Rein is a national tight end recruit, Jernigan is a national running back recruit. The Louisville four‑star is the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2028 class, and his fall schedule looks like something a junior in college would put together.
Florida. Ole Miss twice. Ohio State. Mississippi State. Alabama. Indiana. Auburn. Notre Dame. Oklahoma.
He’s going everywhere.
But even with all that travel, Ole Miss has done exactly what you want an in‑state program to do: make him feel like a priority. Jernigan has already visited Oxford five or six times, and he said to Simmons that Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Oklahoma are the three schools that have impressed him the most.
That’s not a small statement. That’s a player with national options saying the in‑state school is setting the pace.
The bigger picture
This is what Ole Miss hoped its recruiting operation would look like under Golding. Get ahead early. Build relationships before other staffs even start their 2028 boards. Make Mississippi a foundation. Then go national for the right pieces.
Mallard and Allen give Ole Miss a strong start. Rein and Jernigan show the staff is already battling with Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame and Oklahoma for top‑100‑level talent.
There’s still plenty left to do in the 2027 class, but the early work in 2028 looks like a continuation of what Golding did the moment he took over.
