Ole Miss Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Michigan Cruising in Recruiting

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 4:52 PM ET

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels continue working behind the scenes on the recruiting trail with the program chipping away at top targets on the board.

The Rebels enjoyed an impactful stretch on the recruiting scene during the offseason after stacking multiple impactful pieces in the 2026 Recruiting Class.

Duncanville (Tex.) four-star edge rusher Landon Barnes remains a headliner in the current cycle after pledging on June 30, but Kiffin and Co. continue looking to make more splashes heading into the fall.

It started on Friday morning when Ole Miss added an elite weapon in the trenches.

The Rebels hosted New Albany (Miss.) four-star Emanuel Tucker - the No. 1 rated offensive lineman in Mississippi - on an unofficial visit last weekend where the momentum quickly began trending in Ole Miss' favor.

Fast forward to Friday and the LSU Tigers commit flipped his pledge and joined the Rebels' 2026 Recruiting Class.

“My favorite thing was how they ran their offense,” Tucker told Rivals summer. “It’s something I’m really interested in and would love to be a part of.”

Tucker is a prospect that has evaluators raving about the potential he attains after a strong junior campaign in 2024.

“Now that we have some junior film and transition full-time to offensive tackle, I think we feel a lot more comfortable where his future home is,” Rivals' Cody Bellaire said. “He’s got nearly a 140-foot discus throw (and) can really, really move.

“It’s really fun to watch his tape. There’s some obvious rawness to his game, new to the position and that’s expected. Hand placement, timing, understanding leverage in pass pro. But the raw power combined with the athleticism with his pure mass, that’s really hard to find.”

Now, the 6-foot-7, 285-pounder joins Ole Miss' class with Kiffin and Co. holding the No. 21 rated group in the current cycle.

Along with Ole Miss, it's the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish that have picked up steam across the last handful of months with the pair of programs flaunting Top-10 classes.

Michigan is up to the No. 10 rated class in America while Notre Dame sits with the No. 4 overall class as they prepare to host multiple top targets this fall.

Ole Miss will look to continue stacking talent in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle with all eyes on Kiffin and Co. ahead of a critical stretch in Oxford.

This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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