Ole Miss recruiting: Is help in the running game on the way?

It has been no secret that the Ole Miss Rebels have struggled mightily to produce a big-time name in the offensive backfield since Brandon Bolden was roaming the sidelines in 2011. Fast forward to today and the Rebels are making more than a conscious effort to alleviate this issue. After signing four-star Eric Swinney in 2015, Hugh Freeze is looking once again to find the "big back" that everyone harps on constantly.

Three-star Jarrion Street, a 6'1, 195-pound running back from Trussville, Ala. is looking like he is close to making a decision. You might recognize this name as we have talked about him before on #TheNetwork Files, but now we're talking about him a little more than just an offer being extended. 247Sports Barton Simmons reported that he has released a top five on the Twitters and will be announcing sometime next month.

Here's a look at what else is going on in the world of Rebel crootin.

Sandy Creek pipeline heating up?

Three-star offensive lineman Chandler Tuitt is a Georgia native from Tyrone. For those of you that are not familiar with the little town in the Peach State named after a county in Ireland, it is home to Sandy Creek High School. This school has given the Rebels the current Chucky Mullins Award Winner, Mike "I AM EVERYWHERE" Hilton and incoming blue-chipper Eric Swinney. Could the Sandy Creek pipeline be churning out yet another prepster for Ole Miss?

In an article with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Tuitt announced that he will be declaring his college choice on Twitter sometime next week. The 6'3, 294-pound guard's finalists are Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee. You have to think the familiarity with two former teammates on the roster in Oxford has to help the Rebels' case. And they damn sure need some help in the trenches.

Lone Star pass catcher names Rebs favorite

Three-star wide receiver Kofi Boateng unofficially visited Oxford with his parents on June 22nd and it appears that that was enough for the young man from Arlington, Tex. The 6'1, 177-pound receiver who preps at Lamar High School had previously placed the Rebels in his top 10, but after the visit to Oxford, he is looking to narrow things down some more as he has been making the rounds this summer. David Johnson of Rebels247 says that Boateng enjoyed his trip so much that he named the Rebels his leader.

Boateng has an impressive offer sheet as his top ten is rounded out by Ole Miss, Arizona State, TCU, Arkansas, California, Kansas State, Maryland, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Washington and Wisconsin. Taking a look at that list, you can see that Kofi isn't afraid to leave home to play college football. Grant Heard has done a tremendous job on the crootin trail, especially in the state of Texas as the receiver's coach was able to snag four-star Quincy Adeboyejo two years ago. In 2014, Boateng had 66 receptions for 1,023 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The Ninja is still doing work

Four-star circus act/defensive back Nigel Knott has a made a name for himself with his backflips, dunks and one-handed catches. But, he's also made a name for himself with actual football abilities. At the recent Rising Stars Camp at Southern Cal, Knott was named the top defensive performer. According to Rivals.com recruiting analysts Adam Gorney and Blair Angulo, Knott was able to shine in the one-on-one drills and use his speed to make up for being behind on defense to break up passes with ease.

This should come as no surprise to anyone as Knott has shined in every camp setting he's been in this summer. He even had the internet ablaze with rumors of him running a sub-4.3 40-yard dash at the Ole Miss Summer Camp. The likelihood of that being true is not very likely, but the fact that he's even in that arena of conversation is impressive to say the least.

Patterson headlines combine in Oxford

July 1st marks the first day of the seventh month of the year, but it also marks the day that Ole Miss will have a plethora of talent in its backyard. Rebels247 has gathered the rather large list of targets who will be in attendance at the invitation-only event at Lafayette High School. Five-star quarterback Shea Patterson will be there to work out with future teammates D.K. Metcalf, Justin Connor and Eli Johnson as well as a large contingent of big-time targets.

Three-stars Greg Eiland and Javious Bardney will be in attendance and are very high on the wish list for offensive line coach Matt Luke. Both would be huge in-state coups and are coveted by most SEC programs. On the other side of the trenches, four-stars Jeffrey Simmons and Emmit Gooden will be in the Magnolia State, too. Simmons might as well have a rocket tied to his back as he has rapidly shot up the rankings as of late and Gooden is a Tennessee product who likes what he's hearing from defensive line coach Chris Kiffin. Another four-star defensive lineman who will be in Lafayette County is Antonneous Clayton. The big man from Georgia is the No. 16 DE in the country and is apparently wanting to see what Oxford is like. The event is sure to be a huge opportunity for Hugh Freeze and Co. to get some solid one-on-one time with some big names in the 2016 crootin cycle.