Top-ranked JUCO linebacker spurns Ole Miss, 4-star receiver still in play

While everybody was running around yelling about Chad Kelly's arrest, Ole Miss got another dose of bad news on Tuesday: Davon Durant, the No. 1 ranked JUCO linebacker prospect in the country, signed with Arizona State over the Rebels.

Recently upgraded to a five-star at Rivals, Durant would have been a major grab for an Ole Miss team that loses both of its starting linebackers -- D.T. Shackelford and Serderius Bryant -- to graduation after this season. The Rebs did land three-star JUCO linebacker Terry Caldwell last week and former Freshman All-American Denzel Nkemdiche and Christian Russell will be back, but none of those guys possess the combination of size and athleticism that the 6'2, 240-pound Durant does.

On the good news front, Ole Miss remains in play for four-star wideout Van Jefferson (no that's not just his last name -- his first name is actually Van), a high school early-enrollee. He made a verbal commitment to Georgia back in August, but Hugh Freeze and his staff have made a late push and Jefferson's high school coach told Inside Ole Miss Sports last week that it's "a coin toss between the two."

But that was before Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo up and left to become the head coach at Colorado State, which might end up affecting Jefferson's decision.

With the 6'2, 180-pound Jefferson on board, the Rebs would be stacked at receiver. Laquon Treadwell, Cody Core and Quincy Adeboyejo are all back, and transfer Damore'ea Stringfellow, who had to sit out this season, will be eligible.

Here's the 'crootin film on Jefferson: