Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ole Miss Beats out SEC Foes for In-State Recruit

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Apr 11, 2025 7:14 PM ET

Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin was known to be a dominant recruiter through the NCAA transfer portal during his first few seasons at the helm down in Oxford. While he has maintained that title, he has also made tremendous strides on the high school recruiting trail.

In recent weeks, several of the country's top prospects have received offers from the Rebels or visited the campus and had glowing reviews. On Friday, On3 Sports reported that Ole Miss landed a commitment from three-star defensive back Braylen Williams, who also held offers from SEC foes like Auburn, Arkansas and Mississippi State.

While Williams is originally from Nettleton, Mississippi, he transferred to Tupelo High School for his junior and senior seasons. He is the first in-state commit for Coach Kiffin in the Class of 2026, but several others could follow in his footsteps. This includes Williams' teammates, four-star defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy and three-star running back Jaeden Hill.

Williams is a 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back who plays both cornerback and safety. His versatility is highly valued by Coach Kiffin as the Rebels attempt to rebuild their secondary in the wake of losing Trey Amos, among others. The Rebels now have four hard commits in the Class of 2026.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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