Ole Miss established great recruiting momentum at the end of the 2016 cycle and there’s no reason to believe that Hugh Freeze and his staff won’t continue that (barring something unforeseen) in the 2017 cycle.

With that, here are five prospects in the 2017 class that every Rebels fans should know.

1. Cam Akers, RB, Clinton (Miss.)

The 5-foot-11.5, 210-pound Akers has been committed to Alabama since August, but that hasn’t prevented Ole Miss from trying to flip him. Everything about Akers is elite — size, balance, vision and speed. He’s the type of player who could revolutionize the Rebels offense. Should they flip him, you have to be intrigued with what he could do when you add him to the talent Ole Miss has collected on offense the last couple of cycles. Akers it the top overall prospect in the Magnolia State in the Class of 2017 per 247Sports Composite rankings.

2. Trey Smith, OT, Jackson (Tenn.) University School

Historically, west Tennessee has been very good to the Rebels and Smith is the best offensive tackle to come out of the region since former Ole Miss star Michael Oher came out of Memphis in the 2005 cycle. The 6-foot-5 Smith has all you could ask from an elite offensive tackle prospect: size, strength, athleticism and footwork. The Rebels will battle Tennessee and a number of other programs for Smith’s services.

3. Tristan Gebbia, QB, Calabasas (Calif.)

The Rebels have targeted the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Golden State signal caller early and the momentum is on their side with Nebraska also heavily in the mix. Gebbia is the seventh-ranked pro-style quarterback prospect (four stars) in the 2017 recruiting cycle per 247Sports Composite rankings. He is an accurate passer with good size.

4. C.J. Avery, Grenada (Miss.)

It seems that every recruiting cycle there is a great safety prospect in the state of Mississippi and Avery is the next one. The 6-foot-1, 196-pounder can cover and is good against the run. He’s got excellent recovery speed and great natural instincts. Right now, it looks to be an in-state battle between Ole Miss and Mississippi State with Alabama also in the mix.

5. Netori Johnson, Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove

The 6-foot-5, 330-pound Johnson has a who’s who list of SEC offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and others. Still, the Rebels have staying power here. Johnson is the fourth-ranked offensive guard prospect per 247Sports Composite rankings in the Class of 2017.