Ole Miss is losing top juniors Laremy Tunsil, Robert Nkemdiche and Laquon Treadwell.  Together, those three players helped make up perhaps the best recruiting class in program history.

That is until the 2016 recruiting class came along. If the Rebels can close the deal on a couple more top-ranked players, they could possibly have the best class in the country in 2016.

RELATED: Schedule for announcements by top national recruits.

As it stands heading into National Signing Day, Ole Miss is set to bring on three five-star players and 10 four-star commits. The Rebels’ class is ranked the fourth-best in the country and second-highest in the SEC.

Ole Miss is addressing a lot of its needs. The Rebels only return seven starters on offense and defense from a year ago, so a lot of these commits will have opportunities for playing time right away. Ole Miss has a top-ranked player to replace all three of its departed junior stars.

What helped the Rebels land all these top recruits was signing No. 1 pro-style quarterback Shea Patterson in the middle of last February. Other top offensive talent flocked to Ole Miss for a chance to play with him.

In all, Ole Miss recruits are from nine different states. Five of the Rebels’ 22 current recruits are from Mississippi, including five-star DT Benito Jones.

OLE MISS 2016 RECRUITING CLASS

  • National Rank: 4
  • SEC Rank: 2
  • No. of Commitments: 22
  • No. of Commitments by Rating: 3 five-stars, 10 four-stars, 9 three-stars

Top incoming offensive players: Five-star OT Gregory Little, five-star QB Shea Patterson, four-star WR DeKaylin Metcalf
Top incoming defensive players: Five-star DT Benito Jones, four-star CB Jaylon Jones, four-star DE Charles Wiley
Primary remaining targets: Five-star DT Rashan Gary, five-star DE Jeffery Simmons, five-star S Deontay Anderson, five-star CB Nigel Knott
Best-case scenario: The top targets left on the Rebels’ list are all on defense. Ole Miss has made a strong, late push for the highest-rated recruit in the country, Rashan Gray, but he is likely heading to Michigan. The Rebels are favorites to add Simmons and Anderson. If they can also add Knott, that would go a long way to Ole Miss replacing seven starters on defense.

VERBAL COMMITS

  • Gregory Little, OT, five-star
  • DeKaylin Metcalf, WR, four-star
  • Octavious Cooley, TE, four-star
  • Tre Nixon, WR, four-star
  • Jaylon Jones, CB, four-star
  • D’Vaughn Pennamon, RB, four-star
  • Bryce Mathews, OT, four-star
  • Justin Connor, RB, four-star
  • David Luafatasaga, OLB, four-star
  • Royce Newman, OT, three-star
  • Chandler Tuitt, G, three-star
  • Jarrion Street, RB, three-star
  • Jack DeFoor, OT, three-star
  • Tariqious Tisdale, DE, three-star

CURRENT CLASS

  • Shea Patterson, QB, five-star (early enrollee)
  • Benito Jones, DT, five-star (early enrollee)
  • Charles Wiley, DE, four-star (early enrollee)
  • Gabe Angel, TE, four-star (early enrollee)
  • Eli Johnson, C, three-star (early enrollee)
  • Greg Eisworth, S, three-star (early enrollee)
  • Donta Evans, ILB, three-star (early enrollee)
  • Myles Hartsfield, S, three-star (Prep, early enrollee)

Editor’s note: Saturday Down South’s references to recruiting rankings are to the 247Sports.com industry composite ranking.