JUCO 4-star WR Deion Smith commits to Ole Miss
Holmes (Miss.) Community College four-star wide receiver Deion Smith has committed to Ole Miss, he announced.
The former LSU Tiger chose the Rebels while also holding offers from the likes of Mississippi State, Auburn, Utah and Purdue.
Smith is the top-ranked JUCO prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He caught 11 passes for LSU in 2021, totaling 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith visited Oxford over the weekend. He left impressed by coach Derrick Nix and his future as a Rebel.
“The official went good this weekend,” Smith told OM Spirit. “I went and talked to coach (Derrick) Nix, I got to go through the offense and see how I would fit. It’s looking good right now.”
He does not currently have an On3 NIL Valuation. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
Ole Miss adds another JUCO talent to 2024 recruiting class
With Smith now in the mix for Lane Kiffin and Co., Ole Miss has four JUCO commits to go along with its 2024 recruiting class. He joins Ellisville (Miss.) four-star linebacker Raymond Collins, Roswell (Ga.) three-star WR Marquis Wills and Taylorsville (Miss.) three-star cornerback Cedrick Beavers.
The Rebels’ class now features 20 commits and ranks 20th in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. It also ranks 11th in the SEC and is ahead of the likes of Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi State.
Smith checks in as the No. 2 recruit in the class, behind Lake Cormorant (Miss.) four-star defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin, the No. 51 recruit, No. 8 DL and top-ranked player in the Magnolia State. He pledged to the Rebels over Auburn and Miami on Aug. 19.
“Kam checks all of the boxes,” Lake Cormorant head coach Nick Nester told On3 of Franklin. “He is a great person that is a great player. The best thing about him is, he wants to get better. He has always played basketball, which has helped him in football, but once he goes all football on the next level, he will explode onto the scene. Ole Miss is getting a special player.”