3-star DB Jay Stanley commits to Ole Miss

It has been a busy weekend for Matt Luke and Co. It all started on Friday with a commitment from four-star quarterback Grant Tisdale. Then, on Saturday, two commits happened with four-star Diwun Black and three-star Braxton Ragland. Now, a fourth commit over the weekend has happened now that a Brandon, Miss. native has joined the 2019 class.

Three-star outside linebacker/safety Jay Stanley has verbally committed and helped propel the Rebels to No. 1 in the overall and Southeastern Conference team rankings per 247Sports. The Greenwood transfer brings tons of athleticism and playmaking ability to Brandon after totaling 1,030 yards passing, 830 yards rushing, and 25 total touchdowns on offense. Then on defense, he collected 70 total tackles, three sacks, two tackles for a loss, two passes defended, and two fumble recoveries.

The Brandon High School star decided to end his recruitment and become a Rebel despite the Memphis Tigers and in-state Mississippi State Bulldogs beginning to show interest. The No. 51 safety will almost certainly add some more offers before it is all said and done but Derrick Nix and the rest of the staff did a good enough job of selling Ole Miss and the opportunity for being a part of the group that rebuilds the Landsharks that he chose to go ahead and make the call.

He spoke with Russell Johnson of Rebel Grove and briefly explained why he made the call.

“Matt Luke has Ole Miss on the rise,” he said about the program’s trajectory. “I’m excited about where Ole Miss is headed, and can’t wait to be a Rebel. I’ve got some work to do to get my teammates Jarrian Jones and Jonathan Mingo with me, but I think I can get it done.”

Sounds good to me.

How does he fit in?

The 6’2, 195-pounder is clearly an athlete, as evidenced by his offensive statistics above. But, he will be on offense when he arrives in Oxford. He is a long, physical athlete who is explosive and a naturally-gifted athlete on defense. He is able to slide through offensive lines and shed blockers and make the plays without hesitation.

The Rebels will be looking to secure that back end with Zedrick Woods, C.J. Moore, and Co. moving on after 2018 and Stanley is someone who could certainly jump into the fold rather quickly given his long arms, excellent frame, and top-end speed. The Rebels have done an excellent job these past few classes signing capable safeties, now it’s tie for someone to step up and take a spot. Stanley could be in line to do that in 2019.

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