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Ole Miss Receives Commitment From Legacy Prospect Amid College Football Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 4:28 PM ET

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has not missed a bowl game since taking the job in the 2020 season.

Kiffin led his team to a 30-23 win over Kentucky this past weekend to improve to 2-0 on the season. The Rebels struggled in the passing game, as quarterback Austin Simmons threw for 235 passing yards and two interceptions.

Ole Miss scored all of its touchdowns on the ground and was led by Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy, who had 138 rushing yards and one touchdown.

On Monday, Kiffin and company received more good news, as three-star defensive lineman Jayden Curtis flipped to the Rebels from UCF via On3's Billy Embody. Curtis' father, Dwayne, played basketball at Ole Miss.

Curtis is the No. 5 defensive lineman from Mississippi in the 2026 class, hailing from Ocean Springs. He is the No. 97 defensive lineman in the Rivals Industry Rankings for the class. He had been committed to UCF since July 3.

He explained how much the offer from Ole Miss meant, with his grandmother's house being just five minutes away from Oxford.

“It means a lot for me,” Curtis told Rebel Grove when he picked up the offer. “My dad played basketball at Ole Miss. It’s close to home. Five minutes away from my grandma’s house, it’s nice. It definitely makes a big impact.”

Curtis' father started his basketball career at Auburn in 2003. After one year with the Tigers, Dwayne transferred to Ole Miss, but had to sit out one season due to NCAA rules.

From 2005-08, Curtis never averaged fewer than 12 points per game. His career high during his time with the Rebels was 14.9 points per game in the 2007-2008 season.

Ole Miss' 2026 class is led by four-star running back Damarius Yates, four-star edge rusher Landon Barnes and four-star tight end JC Anderson.

The Rebels have another SEC test in Week 3 as they take on Arkansas at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday via ESPN.

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

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