3-star DL Ryder Anderson flips commitment to Ole Miss

The 2016 season is over and since recruiting never stops, that means Hugh Freeze and Co. have even more time on their hands to hit the road and try and bolster a 2017 class that is currently 58th nationally and last in the Southeastern Conference. Well, they didn’t waste much time as three-star weak-side defensive end Ryder Anderson decided it was time to flip his commitment from Arkansas to Ole Miss on Monday morning.

Anderson committed in June but after taking an official visit to Oxford over the weekend, the No. 72 weak-side defensive end had a change of heart. The Katy, Tex. native chose the Rebels over offers from Arkansas, Air Force, Colorado, Fresno State, Harvard, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, UCF and Yale. He comes from one of the best 6A high school football programs in Texas (Katy High School) and compiled a career record of 55-6 as a Tiger.

How does he fit in?

Anderson is not the highest-rated prospect but possesses an impressive frame to build on. He stands 6’7 and tips the scales at 230-pounds. This is something that strength and conditioning coach Paul Jackson can work with. He has some impressive tools to work with and should be able to use a redshirt year to bulk up a bit and learn the new system that will be implemented once a defensive coordinator is named.

Ryder is a long and lean product who shows the ability to use his length to his advantage when fending off blockers. He has a pretty good first step and his long arms can disrupt passing lanes. The Katy High School product should benefit greatly from a redshirt year and could be someone to keep an eye on in 2018. Ole Miss is losing Fadol Brown, John Youngblood and probably Marquis Haynes on the edge so bringing in depth for the defensive end room is imperative moving forward.

Highlights