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With the cloud of NCAA scandal hanging over Oxford, recruiting hasn’t been kind to Ole Miss this cycle. On the 247Sports Composite, the Rebels currently rank No. 45 nationally and No. 13 in the SEC, the lowest since Hugh Freeze’s first few months on the job in 2012.
In 2013, the Rebels signed a top-10 class headlined by names from last year’s NFL Draft such as Laremy Tunsil, Laquon Treadwell and Robert Nkemdiche. Ole Miss managed a top-20 class in the next three years, including last year’s No. 5 overall class. The 2017 recruiting cycle, however, has been different. The Rebels have a total of 14 commits, with only a pair of four-star prospects and no five-star pledges.
While recruiting is never over until all the faxes are in, it would take a huge finish for Freeze and his staff to get the ’17 class up to par. Entering his sixth year in Oxford, Freeze appears to be gearing up for a bounce-back class in 2018. As noted by Gridiron Now’s Brad Logan, Freeze now has three of 247Sports’ top 20 recruiters from the 2016 class on his staff.
Bradley Dale Peveto was the No. 4 recruiter of the 2016 cycle, but new LSU coach Ed Orgeron wanted to change things up with special teams. That worked out well for Freeze, who added Peveto to the Rebels staff on Dec. 23.
Offensive line coach Matt Luke, who has been with Freeze at Ole Miss since 2012, checked in at No. 7 in last year’s recruiter rankings. New addition Jacob Peeler was No. 20 as Cal’s wide receivers coach.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
