Hugh Freeze put the rest of the SEC on notice three years ago after he attracted a top 50 recruiting class to Ole Miss in less than two months’ time on the heels of a 2-10 campaign in 2011. The Rebels’ 2012 class didn’t break barriers, but it proved Freeze and his staff could recruit as well as any staff in America.

One year later, the Rebels did haul in a recruiting class that broke barriers. Ole Miss’ 2013 class ranked in the top 10 in the nation and featured four five-star recruits, including the No. 1 player in the country in Robert Nkemdiche.

That 2013 recruiting class proved to future high school talents that Ole Miss could be a destination for the nation’s top players, and it is continuing to pay off in 2015. Ole Miss boasted another top 20 class last year and is on pace to gather another top 20 class this year. Those two classes featured a combined 14 four-star recruits, many of whom likely wouldn’t have considered Ole Miss as a landing spot prior to Freeze’s arrival.

While players like Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil, Laquon Treadwell, Tony Conner and others from the 2013 class continue to lay the foundation for an emerging program on the field, they’ve already laid the foundation for Freeze to continue his dominance on the recruiting trail. Not only did those aforementioned players give Ole Miss a chance, indicating future talents could do the same, but they lived up to their hype upon arriving in Oxford.

Tunsil was a freshman All-American and has earned All-SEC honors during his brief career as one of the best left tackles in college football. Treadwell led the team in catches in each of his first two seasons with the Rebels. Nkemdiche and Conner played vital roles on the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense in 2014.

Those players showed future top recruits that Ole Miss is a school worth considering, and their respective successes on both sides of the football showed future talents that they’ll be developed effectively if they come play for Freeze. This is just as vital to the Rebels’ recruiting successes in 2015 in beyond. Not only did the 2013 class give Ole Miss a chance, but they made that chance worthwhile. It would be naive to think other top recruits didn’t notice.

The Rebels’ 2014 class showed recruits had taken notice to the signees from 2013. The 2015 class is even better than the 2014 class, indicating Ole Miss was no fluke on the recruiting trail. And if you need further proof, the Rebels 2016 class features one five-star recruit and four more four-stars, making it one of the best classes in the nation more than a year away from National Signing Day 2016.

However, while the 2013 recruiting class helped improve the Rebels’ standing on the recruiting trail, it has also caused the program to plateau as a great recruiting school just shy of elite.

How can Ole Miss become elite in the world of recruiting? The answer again brings us back to the 2013 class. That pivotal collection of prospects will now enter its third year at the college level, and many see the 2015 season as the season the 2013 class will have its greatest impact on the field.

Nearly every member of the class will have a chance to compete for a starting spot this summer. If Ole Miss can improve from its 9-4 season in 2014, it could benefit the Rebels greatly on the recruiting front.

It all comes down to the 2013 recruiting class, the rallying point for the Rebels’ recruiting efforts in recent years. The early success of the class maintained Ole Miss’ standing in the top 20 in the national recruiting rankings, which is great. But a 10-win season in 2015, engineered by the 2013 signees, could transform the Rebels into a consistent top 10 recruiting factory.

The tools are in place, but the 2013 class won’t be around much longer. The time is now for Ole Miss to leave its mark on the recruiting trail, giving it a chance to compete in the SEC every year.