
They say that all is fair in love and war. The same can be said for the college football recruiting trail, though.
It can get intense, especially as the early signing period draws, and the shuffling of head coaches throughout the country has certainly made things even more interesting.
A flip between two SEC programs would always be big news, but three-star wide receiver Kervin Johnson Jr. flipping from the LSU Tigers to the Ole Miss Rebels has become more than notable news because of the monumental news between these two programs lately.
LSU and Ole Miss already have a rivalry, but it's going to be red-hot now that Lane Kiffin has spurned the Rebels in favor of the Tigers right in the middle of Ole Miss' historic College Football Playoff season.
They also say that turnaround is fair play, so new Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding has to feel good about the fact that he poached a recruit from LSU right in the middle of Kiffin's "coronation" in Baton Rouge.
BREAKING WR Kervin Johnson Jr. has flipped his commitment from LSU to Ole Miss
— Rivals (@Rivals) December 2, 2025
Read: https://t.co/7A3hmj6GMq pic.twitter.com/E7zec8hj9z
Making this flip even more hurtful to LSU is the fact that Johnson is an in-state recruit. He's from Tioga, Louisiana, and is ranked as the No. 16 player from the state, according to 247Sports. As far as his national ranking is concerned, 247Sports ranks him as the No. 70 recruit nationally.
Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound wide receiver who is a good athlete. In fact, he's been a multi-sport athlete for Tioga High School, competing in football, basketball and track and field.
As a senior at his high school, he notched 61 receptions for 1,350 yards and 16 touchdowns. He goes down as Ole Miss' 17th commitment in the 2026 cycle.
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