Ole Miss Rebels

The class

Recruits: 24 (20 high school seniors, one already enrolled, one prep school player and three junior college players, two of those already enrolled).

Top prospects: Defensive end Carlos Thompson was one of the top prospects in the state of Mississippi. Defensive end Wayne Dorsey was one of the top junior college prospects in the country and is already in school. The Rebels also can’t wait to get the ball to junior college newcomer Randall Mackey in the Wild Rebel formation.

Sleepers: Cordell Giles projects as a tight end in Ole Miss’ system and possibly a fullback. Vincent Sanders wasn’t ranked among the top 50 receivers nationally, but look for him to get a chance to play early.

Needs met: The Rebels lost a lot of defensive ends, but were able to restock at that position nicely. Delvin Jones, Carlton Martin and Bryon Bennett all have excellent pass-rushing potential. The hope is that junior college safety Damien Jackson will also be able to step in and play early. Is there an explosive playmaker in this bunch?

Analysis: Nutt thinks this is the best defensive line class he’s ever signed. There are five signees in this class that project as defensive ends, and all five were highly rated. It’s crucial that Dorsey lives up to his billing and becomes a force next season. The Rebels only signed seven players from the state of Mississippi, and there will be much debate about whether Ole Miss or Mississippi State won the in-state battle. But Nutt likes the balance in this class, and there are several players who could end up playing a number of different positions.

Scouts Inc. grade: B-

What Houston Nutt said:

• "I thought we did our best recruiting in the state of Mississippi since we've been here. Carlos Thompson, Vincent Sanders, Randall Mackey, Carlton Martin, Bryon Bennett, Will Denny -- these guys in state were solid as a rock. We met their families and got excited about the relationship that we will have with them forever."
• "It keeps taking us to another level. We are in the most competitive league in America. We are ranked around 15th in the country. As you know, in the SEC, we have Alabama, Auburn, LSU, etc., so it is very competitive. We have had a lot of juniors already calling in for next year. I am excited about recruits from Mississippi that are going to be seniors [in high school] next year that are excited about Ole Miss football. I think it takes us to another level."
• "We signed seven players from Florida. All of them are very good athletes. We have a really good connection through Chris Vaughn right now. He is from Florida and has been recruiting Florida players for a long time. There is nothing like the relationship and trust factor with how we are committed to our players."