Ole Miss recruiting: Texas targets loom large, commits prepare for all-star circuit

As the Rebels look to bounce back from the Florida loss on the field, the Rebels will also look to close strong on the crootin trail as well. Most crootin services have Ole Miss as a top 10 class at the moment, but they are poised to possibly finish in the top five, maybe even top three if all goes well. Look for Ole Miss to really push for three big names from the Lone Star state: Greg Little, Deontay Anderson and Tyrie Cleveland.

We all know about Mr. Little, a 6'5, 318-pound bookend left tackle who would step right in the voided spot that Laremy Tunsil will ultimately leave come January. He has listed his top five essentially with the announcement of his official visits and most people feel that the Rebels have just as good a chance as anyone, especially with his teammate and Ole Miss commit (Jaylon Jones) already on board. If the Rebels are able to land the No. 1 offensive line croot in the country, it would surely move them up the rankings. And help to alleviate some issues up front for Matt Luke.

Mr. Anderson is another name that Ole Miss fans need to familiarize themselves with if they already haven't. The 6'1, 205-pound safety ranked No. 5 in the country has been very adamant about his relationship with Shea Patterson and has visited Oxford, Miss. several times. Anderson would definitely be able to jump right in the mix with current Reb C.J. Hampton and would easily provide legitimate help depth-wise when Dave Wommack and Co. try to replace Trae Elston next season. He could also very well bring a physical presence to the Rebel return game. With Texas A&M's resurgence in the West, this one could get wacky down the stretch, but Anderson very well could end up in red and blue on signing day.

Last but not least, the wildcard: Mr. Cleveland. The four-star wide receiver (No. 6 overall at his position) has burst onto the scene after his impressive showing at Nike's The Opening in Beaverton, Ore. earlier this summer. The 6'2, 190-pound playmaker hooked up with Shea Patterson A LOT as they made their way out of the losers bracket and ultimately won the whole damn thing. Cleveland is another croot who is not shy to admit the impact that Patterson has had on his outlook on Ole Miss and you know that Grant Heard is wanting to keep the Texas and WRU pipeline going. The Rebs are still a tad bit on the outside looking in for Tyrie, but having the Chef in his ear is starting to help a lot as he just recently released his top eight and the Rebs are still in the mix.

All-star circuit taking shape

Now that we are halfway through the great, spooky month of October, it is only fitting that high-profile croots start to reap the rewards of their play and accept invitations to various all-star events around the country. Most of these all-star events spend all autumn traveling around to various high school gymnasiums and cafeterias to hold lavish press conferences to announce certain high school student-athletes accepting their invitation to compete against other top-notch croots from around the country. Pretty neat, huh?

The two most popular all-star games are obviously the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Tex. at the Alamodome and the Under Armour All-America Game in St. Petersburg, Fla at Tropicana Field. But, there are other all-star events that Rebel croots will be participating in as well. The Offense/Defense All-American Bowl in Daytona Beach, Fla. is celebrating its 10th annual game and the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Carson, Calif. at the StubHub Center.

Well, there are several Ole Miss football croots accepting said invites to participate all over the country this season and we at the Cup will do you a solid and name them all for you. We will also list some legitimate targets that we feel the Rebs have a shot at.

Under Armour

5-star Benito Jones, DL (commit)

5-star Greg Little, OL (target)

4-star Devin White, ATH (target)

4-star Nigel Knott, DB (target)

4-star Deontay Anderson, DB (target)

U.S. Army

5-star Shea Patterson, QB (commit)

5-star Isaac Nauta, TE (target)

4-star DeKaylin Metcalf, WR (commit)

4-star Jeffery Simmons, DL (target)

4-star Shyheim Carter, DB (target)

O/D Bowl

4-star Justin Connor, ATH (commit)

4-star Jaylon Jones, DB (commit)

3-star Chandler Tuitt, OL (commit)

3-star Eli Johnson, OL (commit)

Semper Fi

4-star Kobe Jones, DL (target)

3-star Tisdale starting to make a name for himself

Most people are still not familiar with Tariqious Tisdale. That's okay. The Ole Miss Rebels like that. The three-star defensive end/linebacker/running back/do-it-all senior at Lexington High School in Lexington, Tenn. is Dave Wommack's coveted diamond in the rough that he's perfectly fine with being unknown. 247Sports' Barton Simmons recently traveled to the small town in Tennessee to get a closer look at the 6'5, 247-pound monster and was completely blown away. Tisdale does everything for his team and will be looked upon to do a lot once he arrives in Oxford, Miss. The defensive staff firmly believes in his ability to make plays at the second level and are looking for him, along with current Reb Shawn Curtis, to form a formidable one-two punch at the linebacker position. Curtis, who is 6'3, 247-pounds in his own right, could be ushering in a new attitude and look for Wommack's linebacker corps with Tisdale.