Ole Miss recruiting: A linebacker decommitted from Mississippi State after the Rebels offered

Three days ago, Kaleb Oliver was a Mississippi State commit. The three-star outside linebacker out of Murfreesboro, Tenn. had been pledged to the Bulldogs since June, when he visited Starkville for a summer camp. Then came an offer from Ole Miss last Sunday. Within hours of Rebel coaches visiting him at his house on the following day, Oliver was back on the open market.

A top-15 prospect in the Volunteer State, Oliver officially decommitted from State on Monday, giving Ole Miss fans hope that more linebacker help could be on the way. The 6’3, 205-pounder was an all-area performer at safety for Oakland High, racking up 82 tackles as a senior.

State began to lose its grasp on Oliver last week, when he said he was going to start shopping around again after Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon left for Louisville.

“[Sirmon] was one of the reasons that drew me to Mississippi State," Oliver told the Daily News Journal. "He was my recruiting coach and talked to me every day about my future."

That means Louisville is now Ole Miss’ primary competition for Oliver’s signature. He’ll be on campus with the Cardinals for an official visit this Saturday before spending next weekend—the last one before Signing Day—in Oxford.

While State is losing one linebacker, it might be gaining on another.

Willie Gay, the four-star Starkville native who was at one time committed to Ole Miss, had an official visit with his hometown school last weekend.

Gay, the No. 4 outside linebacker in the country and the second best prospect in Mississippi behind Cam Akers, said last week during U.S. Army Bowl practice that Ole Miss and LSU are his top two. That might be changing, though.

This from The Clarion-Ledger:

At worst, the Bulldogs view themselves in a tie with Michigan, Ole Miss and LSU. At best, the Bulldogs have reason to believe it’s them and LSU. MSU wants Gay as an inside linebacker, and sources from the program said Gay’s visit went as well as they hoped. His player-host was high school teammate Kobe Jones, and Gay had already met new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham before the visit. Grantham is said to like Gay's speed and sees Gay, a U.S. Army All-American, as someone who can make an immediate impact.

Breon Dixon, the four-star ‘backer who committed to the Rebs two weeks ago, is doing his part to ‘croot Gay to Oxford.

Speaking of Dixon, he was on campus Tuesday to enroll.

Mike Bianco landed another top-10 prospect.

A few days after receiving a commitment from 2020 prospect (yea, recruiting is dumb) Hudson Sapp, Ole Miss baseball picked up a pledge from 2018 superstar Joe Gray. Already 6’3 and 195 pounds, the junior out of Hattiesburg is the highest rated Mississippi prospect of the Perfect Game era, pulling in at No. 4 in the national prospect rankings. He’s probably heading straight to the pros, but the fact that such a high-profile ‘croot is picking the Rebels (over State, it should be noted) creates momentum for a program that just signed the country’s top class in 2016.

Ole Miss missed out on another legacy.

Wide receiver Tyrese Fryfogle was considered by many an Ole Miss lean after receiving an offer from the Rebels last July, but things shifted quickly when wide receivers coach Grant Heard left for the same position at Indiana. On Tuesday, he verbally committed to the Hoosiers.

The 6’2, 206-pound receiver from Lucedale, Miss. told Patrick Magee of the Sun Herald that he had “a good feeling all day that was the place for me.” Fryfogle isn’t highly-rated but he was an extremely productive pass-catcher for George County High School, snagging 89 receptions for 1,430 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. Tyrese’s father, Trey, played wide receiver in Oxford in the early 2000’s.

This is the second time the Rebels have missed out on a legacy after four-star running back Ty Chandler chose the Vols over his father Chico’s team back in August.

A 3-star DB from Georgia has three in mind.

Erick Stokes released his top three Tuesday evening and Ole Miss is in the mix along with Georgia and Florida. The 6’0, 170-pounder is wrapping up his official visit tour before he makes a decision on National Signing Day. He just got back from Gainesville and is slated to visit Georgia and Ole Miss in consecutive weekends.

Stokes is an extremely athletic corner who could easily grow into a safety. His top end speed was recently put on display at a track meet in Georgia when he finished second in the 100m dash with a blistering time of 10.4. As of now, the hometown Bulldogs potentially hold the edge according to 247Sports Crystal Ball, but the Rebs get the last visit before a decision is made.