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Forget the flip rumors: 4-star Jonathan Mingo sticks with Ole Miss

There were worries he would flip to Mississippi State.

By Jeff Gray
Russell Johnson-Rivals

You’ll be excused for thinking that Jonathan Mingo’s commitment ceremony on National Signing Day was a bit, uh, redundant. After all, the four-star wideout from Brandon, Miss. had been committed to Ole Miss since July.

But Rebel fans breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday when Mingo reaffirmed his pledge—a pledge that seemed in danger after Mingo opted not to ink during the early signing period in December. He claimed that he never intended to sign early—and that Ole Miss never pressured him to do so—but Rebel fans began to get nervous when he took an official visit to Starkville in mid-November (he also took an official to Georgia). His insistence that he was “mostly solid” with his Ole Miss commitment didn’t engender a ton of optimism either.

Turns out there was nothing to worry about. Mingo, ranked inside the top 250 prospects nationally, strode into his announcement ceremony on Wednesday decked in an Ole Miss polo, a Rebel hat in hand.

That’s a big deal because Mingo could be a very, very good SEC wideout. At 6’2, 200 pounds, he’s the type of big-bodied pass catcher the Rebels need now that A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf—who produced some 3,700 yards and 29 touchdowns over the past two seasons—are NFL-bound. 2018 signees Elijah Moore and Miles Battle will be the top options coming into spring camp, but Mingo will get every opportunity to be an immediate contributor as a freshman.

Here’s how our Zach Berry breaks down Mingo’s game.

Mingo uses his body well in shielding off would-be defenders and catching the football with his hands. He’s more than capable of high-pointing the football, winning one-on-one battles, then pulling away with his top-end speed. He showed those abilities at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge, where he was able to swat away corner backs and safeties with ease.

Mingo has the frame to add 10-15 pounds once he arrives and should still maintain his current foot speed. In my opinion, Mingo will play immediately. This is someone who will take on the role of A.J. Brown and be that physical, game-changer no matter where he is on the field. Big things are coming from OG Mingo. No doubt.