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Ole Miss recruiting: 5-star DT Rashard Lawrence puts Rebs in his top 5

Another five-star trims his list. Another five-star likes the Rebs.

By Zach Berry
Student Sports

Five-star defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence has been on Ole Miss' radar for quite some time. The 6'3, 305-pound behemoth from Monroe, La. will have his pick of the litter come February, but for now, he is focused on three schools. The big man from Neville High School talked with Scout.com's Chad Simmons about his three favorites: Ole Miss, Alabama and LSU.

But, don't expect anything anytime soon -- Lawrence has been adamant about waiting until after his senior season. The hometown school in Baton Rouge seems to be the heavy favorite. The other two schools in the mix for Lawrence are Oregon and Washington. Despite the Pac-12 flavor with Lawrence's last two schools, this seems like it is going to be a SEC battle until the very end.

Also, Mr. Lawrence is a big fan of the window of gains during his training as you can see from this snippet from an interview with SB Nation's very own Bud Elliott.

Nashville OL down to two

It is no secret that Laremy Tunsil is going to be a top 10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. It also no secret that Ole Miss will have some very large shoes to fill once he leaves. Insert four-star offensive lineman Bryce Mathews. The 6'6, 280-pound trenches tactician from Brentwood Academy has been a household name on the crootin trail for the past two years and seems to always mention two schools: Ole Miss and Tennessee. Despite talking with TigerIllustrated.com's Paul Strelow, Mathews spoke very highly of the Rebels and the Volunteers. Mathews teammate and fellow four-star OL croot Ryan Johnson is committed to the Vols, but his other teammate and five-star long snapper Jack Propst is committed to the Rebs. Tight ends coach and Tennessee native Maurice Harris is doing his best to sway the Music City lineman down south.

Texas RB focusing on three

Hugh Freeze and his staff have done a phenomenal job of raiding the Lone Star State in their three years in Oxford and it doesn't look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. Three-star running back D'Vaughn Pennamon has made it very clear that he is a big fan of Oxford and running back coach Derrick Nix. In a recent Q&A with 247Sports Taylor Hamm, the 5'11, 200-pound back said that his top three are Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. He also stated in the interview that he was also looking to have a decision made before his senior season starts. Another thing to keep an eye on is his teammate, four-star safety Deontay Anderson. He is also a heavy Ole Miss lean and very close with Shea Patterson.

Metcalf shows out in Oregon

Since DeKaylin Metcalf has been committed for over two years and is an Ole Miss legacy, it's easy for people to forget about him. So Mr. Metcalf made it very clear at Nike's The Opening that he will be a force at the next level He also made it crystal clear that he and Mr. Patterson have already built some QB/WR chemistry that will carry over to their times together in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. And with him standing 6'3 and 195-pounds, I don't think many people are going to doubt him. Even though it was a 7v7 tournament and you obviously don't have to tackle the ball carrier, the four-star wide receiver's sheer size going up against some of the best corners and linebackers is jaw-dropping. Another thing you can pump the breaks on is him being an active recruiter. As you can see from this picture with four-star rhino Devin White, he and Patterson were both very active in Beaverton, Ore.

Diamondbear commits make USA 18U squad

After making it past the first two roster cuts, Rebel baseball commits Ryan Rolison and Cooper Johnson have officially been named to the final roster of 28. The left-handed pitcher and catcher will be traveling west with their other 26 teammates to California to compete in the Olympic Trials August 16-19. Once they have completed this tour, the team will be heading to the Land of the Rising Sun to take on the rest of the world at the 18U World Cup in Japan. Here at the Cup, we have mentioned how great it is that the 2015 crootin class wasn't hit hard by the MLB Draft, but to have two of your own traveling with Team USA and getting this kind of exposure and experience will definitely pay dividends for their preparation for the college level.