The preparation for the 2023 football season is under way in college football but the path towards building the future of the sport is never on hiatus.
It's true for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, fresh off of a top 25 recruiting class and its raid of the NCAA transfer portal of late. The program has gone through considerable transition, from coaching staff to roster, coming off of a disappointing 8-5 regular season after starting the year 7-0.
Can the Rebels start taking away recruits from programs like Bama, Georgia and A&M by getting on recruits earlier than ever? That appears to be the aim based on the following information.
Stick with The Grove Report as we track the top class of 2025 recruits that the Rebels are getting out in front with by offering and/or targeting early.
August 29
Elite 2025 four-star receiver Marcus Harris revealed his top 12 schools on Tuesday and the Ole Miss Rebels made the cut.
The other teams in Harris' top 12 programs include the Tennessee Volunteers, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns, Penn State Nittany Lions, Washington Huskies, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, Miami Hurricanes, Florida Gators, and Auburn Tigers.
According to On3 rankings, Harris is rated as the No. 5 recruit in the state of California and the No. 9 receiver in the 2025 cycle. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound wideout is listed as the No. 43 overall prospect in 2025.
The Eastvale, Calif., native just started his junior year at Mater Dei High School.
June 14
2025 four-star receiver Dillon Alfred is set to be in Oxford on Wednesday for an unofficial visit with the Ole Miss Rebels, according to On3. Alfred is rated as the No. 35 wideout in the 2025 cycle and the No. 9 recruit in the state of Mississippi. The Gautier, Miss., native had a dominant sophomore season recording58 receptions for 1,310 yards and 16 touchdowns.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, and Penn State Nittany Lions have all offered the talented recruit.
June 2
2025 four-star quarterback Austin Simmons annoucned on Friday via social media that he will be in Oxford this weekend visiting the Ole Miss Rebels. According to On3 rankings, the Pahokee, Fla., native is rated as the No. 12 recruit in his home state and the No. 4 quarterback in the 2025 cycle. Simmons is currently committed to the Florida Gators but Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin knows it is never too late to flip to the sip.
According to the On3 recruiting prediction machine, the Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles, and Louisville Cardinals are the three programs in hot pursuit of Simmons' talents.
May 26
Four-Star quarterback Duece Knight announced his Top 10 schools on Friday afternoon via social media. The Ole Miss Rebels made the cut along with the Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Oregon Ducks, South Carolina Gamecocks, Washington Huskies, and TCU Horned Frogs.
According to On3 industry rankings, the Lucedale, Miss., nativeis rated as the No. 3 recruit in his home state and the No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 cycle. On3's recruiting prediction machine currently has Knight committing to Ole Miss.
April 12, 11:00 am UPDATE:
Another NFL legacy recruit is set to be in Oxford, this time over the weekend for the 2023 Grove Bowl.
It's Eugene Hilton, son of longtime NFL wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who plays the same position as his father at the prep level in the class of 2025. Already with several FBS scholarship offers to his name, the rising-junior at Zionsville (Ind.) High School.
The Rebels, who reportedly recruited his father, have yet to offer a scholarship to the NFL legacy talent, listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds. Communication has commenced between both parties.
As a sophomore in 2022, Hilton registered 598 yards and five touchdowns on 49 receptions for ZHS.
T.Y. is currently a free agent after a long run with the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 through 2021 and a stint with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022. He had a record-setting career at Florida International, including a run towards Sun Belt Player of the Year honors in 2010.
April 11, Noon UPDATE:
Ready to feel a tad old, Rebel fans?
Antonio Cromartie Jr., yes the son of the former Florida State and NFL star of the same name, is expected to check out Ole Miss on Tuesday. The class of 2025 secondary prospect out of powerhouse Carrollton (Ga.) High School posted the visit plans via social media Monday.
The rising sophomore is very early in his recruitment, just beginning to hit the road for visits before scholarship offers roll in. Listed at just 5-foot-7, 150 pounds, it should be assumed many programs are watching his physical development in the coming years.
Cromartie Sr. played in the NFL for more than a decade, mostly with the Chargers and Jets after a two-sport career at Florida State. He is currently on staff at Texas A&M.
April 3, 9:00 AM UPDATE:
The Elite 11 quarterback circuit made its way to the Sunshine State on Sunday and Ole Miss is in the mix for several competitors who worked out.
The highest-ranked of the bunch resides in the class of 2025, in Carter Smith. The Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot star passer, who was offered by the Rebels on February 1, is tabbed as a top-five recruit at the sport's most important position by On3 (No. 4 QB, No. 14 overall recruit).
Smith told Fan Nation's Brian Smith he hopes to soon see Oxford for the first time as a recruit, with a specific desire to connect with Lane Kiffin.
"Lane is the man!" Smith said.
As a sophomore in 2022, the 6-foot-4 and athletic Smith threw for a school and county record 3,104 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 692 yards and 19 more scores in 13 games.
March 28, 10:15 AM UPDATE:
One of the emerging secondary prospects in the class of 2025 will come to a verbal commitment "soon," per multiple reports.
The news surrounding Shamar Arnoux came Tuesday morning in conjunction with the release of his top schools, Ole Miss included, posted to social media.
The Rebels, which offered last summer before hosting Arnoux for a gameday visit in the fall, made the cut along with LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Michigan and Florida State.
The rising-junior recruit preps at Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton High School at a listed 6-foot-1, 175 pounds. Per the On3 database, only in-state Georgia and border state program Tennessee have hosted Arnoux more than the Rebels have.
March 18, 10:15 AM UPDATE:
One of the first Ole Miss targets in the class of 2025 was Austin Simmons of Pahokee (Fla.) High School.
The lefty quarterback, who is also an emerging baseball recruit, has known about the Rebel approach for longer than many would expect thanks to a staff member his family has been close to for some time. Among visits he would like to take this offseason, only one program mentioned had an 'of course' attached to it.
"Of course Ole Miss," Simmons said to Sports Illustrated's John Garcia, Jr. "I know the lead analyst, Devin Bush. I have a great relationship with him and I've known him since I was eight years old.
"I just want to see the amazing facilities they have and I want to meet the baseball coaches up there."
The 6'1" standout freshman is accomplished in both football and baseball and the current plan is to play each at the collegiate level.
"I just want to play both sports," he said. "I'm pretty good at both sports, I may be better in baseball."
Simmons, who also has offers from Texas A&M, Florida State, Louisville and others early on, completed his freshman season at Pahokee in throwing for 1,684 yards, 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
March 16, 9:15 AM UPDATE:
Quarterback is the talk of recruiting in general, even in the class of 2025. The current high school freshman crop appears to be on the strong end of the talent spectrum. The Rebels have already targeted a handful of passers yet to enter their sophomore high school campaign.
For Husan Longstreet, the latest of the bunch, he won't likely soon forget what Tuesday meant for his future. The Inglewood (Calif.) High School quarterback picked announced scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Florida State, Missouri, Louisville, BYU, Georgia Southern, Colorado State, UNLV, Jacksonville State and Grambling on the same day.
A three-sport star with basketball and baseball supplementing football for the 6'2" , 185-pound prospect, Longstreet played both varsity and junior varsity in 2021. The varsity squad was led by UCLA signeeJustyn Martin last fall.
March 11, 9:00 AM UPDATE:
Another quarterback recruit has received the call to play at Ole Miss.
Earlier this week, Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame High School quarterback Wyatt Becker announced a new offer from the Rebel coaching staff. Naturally, he used a photo of fellow SoCal product Matt Corral to announce the news to the public.
Just wrapping up his freshman year of high school, Becker got in some varsity action last fall and continues to pick up scholarship offers as a sign of the potential he has despite the youth. Georgia, Texas A&M, Oregon, Penn State, Louisville, Kentucky, Miami, Florida State and others have already offered the rising sophomore recruit.
Becker becomes the sixth class of 2025 quarterback to report an offer from Kiffin and company early in the process.