Recruiting Update: Remaining targets for Ole Miss

With signing day less than a week away, The Daily Mississippian’s Bennett Hipp gives a few of the prospects that are still being pursued by Ole Miss. This isn’t an inclusive list, and names are listed alphabetically.

Richie Brown

Linebacker

Long Beach

Scout.com: 3 Stars

Rivals.com: 4 Stars

Vitals: 6’2,” 228 pounds

Brown is considered the top linebacker in the state. Brown was a member of The Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen and is listed No. 6 on the publication’s Top 10 Most Wanted list. He racked up more than 200 tackles during his senior season at Long Beach High School. He possesses great speed for a linebacker, running the 40-yard dash in about 4.5 seconds. He has taken official recruiting visits to Tennessee, LSU and, most recently, Mississippi State. Mississippi State is thought to lead for Brown. An official visit to Ole Miss this weekend remains up in the air.

Sheldon Dawson

Athlete

Ridgeway (Tenn.)

Scout.com: 4 Stars

Rivals.com: 3 Stars

Vitals: 5’11,” 170 pounds

The Rebels already have a commitment from running back Jaylen Walton, Dawson’s high school teammate at Memphis Ridgeway. Dawson is considered one of the top players in the Memphis area and has been committed to Memphis since this past July. That commitment is soft at best with the recent coaching change at the school from Larry Porter to Justin Fuente. He has taken official visits to Cincinnati, Georgia and Memphis, and he is expected to take a trip to Ole Miss this weekend. While Memphis remains in the picture for Dawson, Georgia and Ole Miss are thought to be fighting it out for the talented athlete. He could play running back or cornerback at the next level.

Trae Elston

Defensive Back

Oxford (Ala.)

Scout.com: 3 Stars

Rivals.com: 3 Stars

Vitals: 6’0,” 180 pounds

Two Under Armour All-Americans have already committed to Ole Miss in defensive end Channing Ward and defensive tackle Issac Gross, and the Rebels would like Elston to become the third. Elston has offers from all over and is being recruited the hardest by LSU, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. He could play wide receiver at the next level, but most likely will end up on the defensive side of ball. He is listed as a safety on Rivals.com and a cornerback on Scout.com. He visited Ole Miss this past weekend and will choose between visiting LSU or Oklahoma State this weekend.

Khalid Henderson

Linebacker

Pebblebrook (Ga.)

Scout.com: 3 Stars

Rivals.com: 3 Stars

Vitals: 6’1,” 200 pounds

A longtime time Tennessee commitment, Henderson decommitted on Jan. 1 and opened his recruitment back up. The Austell, Ga., native visited Ole Miss this past weekend and Central Florida earlier this month. He is expected to visit Kentucky this weekend, and he is thought to commit to either Ole Miss or Kentucky. He recorded more than 70 tackles as a senior at Pebblebrook High School and can certainly add more weight to his frame at the next level. 

A.J. Jefferson

Defensive End

North Pike

Scout.com: 3 Stars

Rivals.com: 3 Stars

Vitals: 6’4,” 245 pounds

Prior to his official visit to Mississippi State this past weekend, the Bulldogs and Rebels were thought to be tied at the top for Jefferson. Like Brown, he was a member of The Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen and is listed No. 10 on the publication’s Top 10 Most Wanted list. He recorded more than 100 tackles with 12 sacks as a senior at North Pike High School. However, the Summit native committed to head coach Dan Mullen and Mississippi State on his visit. The Rebels will continue to recruit him and try to get him to visit the campus this weekend, but it looks like Jefferson has made up his mind. On Tuesday, he tweeted “Im not taking anymore visits anyone so quit asking. Ima BULLDAWG!!”

Jeremy Liggins

Quarterback

Lafayette

Scout.com: 3 Stars

Rivals.com: 3 Stars

Vitals: 6’4,” 265 pounds

Oxford’s own Jeremy Liggins has received lots of attention in recruiting circles, both for his talents on the field and his size. He was named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen and listed No. 4 on the publication’s Top 10 Most Wanted list. An imposing dual-threat quarterback at Lafayette High School, Liggins accounted for more than 2,500 total yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior. He also led the Commodores to a perfect 14-0 season and the MHSAA Class 4A State Championship. It looks to be an Ole Miss-Mississippi State recruiting battle for his signature with LSU re-entering the picture on the periphery after the nation’s top quarterback, Gunner Kiel, switched his commitment from LSU to Notre Dame.

Cordarrelle Patterson

Wide Receiver

Hutchinson C.C. (Kan.)

Scout.com: 5 Stars

Rivals.com: 4 Stars

The only junior college player on this list, Patterson is the top junior college receiver in the country. At 6-foot-4, 200-pounds, he would provide a big target for whoever the Ole Miss quarterback is next season in new head coach Hugh Freeze’s spread, up-tempo offense. Patterson racked up more than 800 receiving and 12 touchdowns this past season. The Rock Hill, S.C., native was also a two-time NJCAA All-American and owns 15 single-game, single-season and career records at Hutchinson Community College. He has taken official visits to Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Rebels got in the game late for Patterson, but are in the thick of the race to get his signature.