Note: Story has been updated to reflect the signing of 4-star DE Chester Graves

Ole Miss was not going to finish with the top 10 or even top 20 class fans have come to expect out of Hugh Freeze. The 2017 class wasn’t as good as the last four, but it wasn’t as bad as some expected, either.

The Rebels flipped a Bulldog and held onto a 4-star, in-state wide receiver. The NCAA investigation has taken a toll on Ole Miss’ national recruiting momentum, but the Rebels managed to sign a class that took them from No. 53 nationally to No. 30. Considering the circumstances, it was a pretty good day.

Overall rank: No. 30

SEC rank: No. 12

5-stars: 0

4-stars: 3

3-stars: 19

Here are some takeaways:

Help in the middle: Ole Miss desperately needed help in the middle of the defense. After giving up nearly 3,000 rushing yards last season, the Rebels ranked dead last in the SEC in rushing defense. One-time Houston commit Mohamed Sanogo at 6-foot-2, 239 pounds, could be the answer to that issue. He was one of four 3-star linebackers at a position of great need. The day started with Sanogo and ended with D.D. Bowie.

D.D. Bowie stayed put: The 4-star wide receiver from in-state Morton had been exploring and even said at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl that was due to the pending investigation. Those options included flipping to Mississippi State – nearly the entire Bulldogs’ staff paid him a visit last week. That didn’t happen, giving the Rebels another dangerous weapon in an already loaded receiving group. Losing Bowie would have meant losing the highest-rated player in the class. Bowie was a must-get for a decent day.

Poor in-state showing: Ole Miss only got two of Mississippi’s top 10 players, Bowie and Clinton ATH Kam White. That hurt as the biggest two blows dealt to the Rebels came from the state’s top two players. Many believe 5-star running back Cam Akers, a Florida State signee, would be at Ole Miss if not for the investigation, and Starkville LB Willie Gay was an Ole Miss commit for four months who signed Wednesday with Mississippi State.

They’ll also be talking about: Taekion Reed’s hat toss. The 3-star New Hope offensive tackle plays down the road from Mississippi State and had been committed there. Before he picked up an Ole Miss cap, he threw an MSU cap across the room.

Reed may not know it yet, but that won’t ever leave him when Egg Bowl week arrives over the next four years.

The non-starred jewel?: Could the 2-star running back be the answer there? In-state Presbyterian Christian running back Isaiah Woullard isn’t nationally ranked, but the 5-foot-10, 205-pound back is Mississippi’s all-time leading rusher. He got an offer from Freeze Tuesday night and signed a few hours later. Patrick Willis was also a 2-star.

Ole Miss somewhat overcame the negative recruiting tactics other schools used against it.

In the late afternoon, the Rebels got more good news when 4-star DE Chester Graves signed with the school, marking a recruiting win for Ole Miss over Mizzou. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder was the top-rated player in the state of Missouri.

The class is good, not great. It also made an attempt to fill needs. But without the NCAA camping out, would Akers and Gay be Rebels? What the class will be remembered for is what might have been.