Ole Miss Football, North Carolina and Florida State Among Rising Recruiting Classes

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels continue making their presence felt in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle with the program moving into the Top-25 of the Team Rankings.

The Rebels landed four commitments across a pivotal stretch to open July with Kiffin and Co. red-hot on the recruiting trail.

But Ole Miss isn't the only program making moves on the recruiting scene this offseason after moving into the Top-25.

The North Carolina Tar Heels and Florida State Seminoles have also found themselves in the Top-25 after securing multiple commitments.

The Tar Heels sit at No. 19 in the Team Rankings while the Seminoles moved into the No. 14 slot after their recent string of pledges.

According to Rivals' Team Recruiting Rankings, the Top-10 is:

No. 1: Georgia Bulldogs
No. 2: USC Trojans
No. 3: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
No. 4: Texas A&M Aggies
No. 5: Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 6: Oregon Ducks
No. 7: LSU Tigers
No. 8: Ohio State Buckeyes
No. 9: Michigan Wolverines
No. 10: Clemson Tigers

Ole Miss, North Carolina and Florida State hold Top-25 status with Ole Miss sitting at No. 21 as the summer months roll on.

Which prospects are of intrigue in Ole Miss' 2026 Recruiting Class?

The Two Names to Know: Landon Barnes and Jett Goldsberry

No. 1: Landon Barnes - EDGE

Duncanville (Tex.) four-star edge rusher Landon Barnes revealed a commitment to Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels over Ohio State and Washington on June 30.

Barnes, the No. 2 rated EDGE in Texas, is a consensus Top-25 defensive prospect in the Lone Star State heading into his senior campaign.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder reeled in offers from the likes of the LSU Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes and Georgia Bulldogs during his prep career.

Now, it's Kiffin and Co. winning out for his services over a myriad of high-profile programs navigating his process.

“I felt the love from the staff. They showed great love and a lot of energy toward me. The people [at Ole Miss] really got to know me well and it showed me a lot as a recruit," Barnes told Rivals.

"I was there for a spring practice, then for an official visit and the energy was always there. They showed me that they wanted me.”

No. 2: Jett Goldsberry - Athlete

Lincoln City (Ind.) Heritage Hills three-star athlete Jett Goldsberry committed to Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels on Monday, July 7.

Goldsberry, the No. 1 rated athlete in Indiana, chose the Rebels over the North Carolina Tar Heels, West Virginia Mountaineers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Wake Forest Demon Deacons down the stretch of his process.

One of the top two-way prospects in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle, Goldsberry is coming off of a dominant junior campaign for his prep squad where he gained interest from multiple coveted programs.

“I really love the past couple seasons of football there. The coaches are top tier in Lane Kiffin, Pete Golding and Wes Neighbors. I just love the culture,” Goldsberry said before announcing his pledge.

“Also, just the way the vibe and energy feels here and how close together the staff is. Everything here is just very put together and has a good structure to it.”

The 6-foot, 195-pounder threw for 1,807 yards and 26 touchdowns to just four interceptions as a quarterback for his high school squad.

He also tallied another 1,676 rushing yards and 28 more scores.

Goldsberry is a three-year starter on defense where he has logged 212 career tackles, four forced fumbles and three interceptions during his time on the prep scene.