'There are some people who love football and there are some people who love what football can do for them' – Ole Miss coordinator playing 4D chess in new era

“The big part for us is football IQ."

“Everybody can watch the tape. The big thing in recruiting right now is there are some people who love football and there are some people who love what football can do for them," Golding said. “The paycheck is good and the car is good and the condo is better and I’m going to the country club with the coaches and all those things but at the end of the day when the (stuff) gets hard, they don’t love football and they start running from it.

“That’s our biggest thing in the evaluation process, it’s not the tape. It’s really who they are," Golding said. "Do they love football and do they have a high football IQ and are they going to be a good teammate?”

There's one big reason why Pete Golding and Ole Miss have been able to build a Top 20 recruiting class around defense.

“What stood out was the coaching and how he harps on the little things because he knows it can make a difference in a big game,” said three-star cornerback commit Iverson McCoy from Tupelo, Miss.

“We did talk about my love for the game and how I want to break everything down and see why this is happening here and what the reason for it is and just wanting to know what everyone is doing.”

“Pete is an amazing guy. During the recruiting process and through it all I feel like, I don’t necessarily look toward my recruiting process before what I have going on present day," three-star safety Nascar McCoy said. "I’m more focused on being there for my team and being a team-first guy before I get up there and show those guys the exact same traits.”

Pete Golding doesn't care where you come from as long as you have big-game experience.

“I look at SEC (transfers) first,” Golding said. “They’ve been in that stadium, they’re not going to take a picture when they get there. They’ve been in big moments, they’ve been in bowl games so that’s just the next game when you get there.

“This is the best league in college football so if they’re starting in this league and we can get them, great.”

Culture is just as important to Golding.

“We put a lot on our players when we bring a guy in on an OV and they’re hanging out with them, we get their feedback before we’re ever going to take a guy,” Golding said.

“They’ve actually hung out with them outside of this building and saw some true colors and say, ‘Hey, is this going to be a good teammate and somebody you want to go to war with, or not?’ We get a lot of feedback from those guys.”

Maybe the one thing drawing recruits to Pete Golding, Ole Miss is his dedication to the program.

Rich Township (Ill.) defensive lineman Carmelow Reed spoke to Golding extensively during the recruiting process. He said Golding made it clear he wanted to be at Ole Miss for the long haul – helping convince the midwestern prospect to commit to a school in the deep south.

“What stood out was his loyalty to the school,” Reed said. “He was telling me that he’s cemented at Ole Miss. He loves the people and loves to be a coach there.”