Ole Miss recruiting: 4-star WR Tre Nixon names Rebs in top 10

Four-star wide receiver Tre Nixon has recently named a top 10 and the Rebels have made the cut. Now, you're probably saying "these meddling kids and their stupid lists" or "Zach, it's a top 10 list, not a top three, who cares?" or even "how much does he even weigh??!!" If this is the case, I hear you loud and clear, but the job that wide receiver coach Grant Heard has done can't be ignored.

The 6'1, 170-pound pass catcher from Melbourne, Fla. finished with 1,065 yards and 13 touchdowns last season for Viera High School and has been a hot commodity on the crootin trail this cycle. Nixon's top 10 consists of Alabama, Auburn, Duke, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Penn State and Oregon. The kid boasts an impressive list, no doubt, but we'll standby to see if the Rebels make the cut when he eliminates two or three in the coming months.

Simmons impresses at Texas camp

When looking at the top talent in the state of Mississippi for the class of 2016, it is very rare that someone doesn't immediately mention three-star defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons. The big man from Macon, Miss. hovered under the radar for the most part at the beginning of this season's crootin cycle, but after dominating a camp in Houston, Tex., the word has gotten out. Simmons has that fourth star in his sights and he might be receiving it very, very soon.

Simmons, standing 6'4, 262-pounds, put up remarkable numbers his sophomore year at Noxubee County High School. The young man who reminds me of a much larger Isaac Gross finished the 2014 season with 107 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, seven pass breakups, five fumble recoveries and two fumble returns for touchdowns. So, yeah, he's really good at tackling and causing all-around destruction in the backfield. Simmons' recruitment is very likely to come down to Ole Miss and Mississippi State when it's all said and done.

Memphis defensive back likes Rebs

Four-star monster cornerback/safety Donte Vaughn from Whitehaven High School recently named his top eight and the Rebels are heavily in the mix for his signature. Vaughn, who towers over people at 6'3 and 192-pounds, seems to have a trio of favorites in Notre Dame, Tennessee and Ole Miss, according to his 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions.

Notre Dame has your typical "it's far away from home and they have shiny helmets with real gold" thing. Tennessee is now back and more annoying than ever with Butch "Dry-Clean Jeans" Jones crootin like a sumbitch in West Tennessee. Ole Miss is the one that has been around since the beginning, with tight ends coach Maurice Harris being a former Whitehaven Tiger and a family friend of Vaughn. This one is tough to call at the moment, but don't get it twisted, the Rebs are in it for the coveted talent from the Bluff City.

Diamondbear commitments make Team USA cut

Ryan Rolison and Cooper Johnson have made the 28-man 18-under Team USA roster cut after it was trimmed down from 40 this past weekend. Rolison, a 6'1, 190-pound left-handed pitcher from Jackson, Tenn., and Johnson, a 6'0, 200-pound catcher, both competed in the team trial competition round against the other high schoolers and impressed the scouts and coaches enough for a chance to help America defend their title in Japan.

Rolison made the TSWA All-State team in Tennessee after finishing his junior campaign with a 6-3 record on the mound and a 0.72 ERA and 104 strikeouts. The University School of Jackson southpaw lead the Bruins to a state title in 2014 and will look to take them back in 2016. Johnson is one of the most talented defensive catchers in the country. He possesses a 1.79 pop time with an exit velocity that tops out at 89 MPH. The Carmel Catholic prep star was named second-team all-area in 2015 after hitting .382 with a .479 on-base percentage, 11 2B, 3 HR and 33 RBI. He will play in the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field on August 15th,

Ole Miss recognized as surprise crootin team

If you don't know, now you know.The good folks over at Rivals.com have labeled the Rebels the "surprise" team so far in the 2016 cycle. Rob Cassidy and Woody Wommack named some superlatives and called Ole Miss the surprise of the class thus far. It's no shocker that Ole Miss is in on big-time croots after the splash the 2013 class made, but the Rebels haven't finished in the top 10 since then.

The Rebels are currently No. 9 on Rivals.com's team rankings and are poised to potentially finish even higher. Five-star Shea Patterson is well on his way to the No. 1 overall spot and D.K. Metcalf is drawing closer and closer in his pursuit of a fifth star. The Rebels are still in on several huge crootin targets like five-star Greg Little, four-star offensive lineman Willie Allen, four-star running back Devin White, four-star defensive back Shyheim Carter, three-star defensive end Jeffrey Simmons, four-star defensive back Nigel Knott, four-star safety Deontay Anderson and four-star offensive lineman Bryce Mathews.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: We at the Cup apologize for #TheNetwork Files' absence last week. It was a holiday and the Files were day drinking before noon.)