Ole Miss moves into Top 25 of On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings after big flip

Ole Miss pulled off a humongous recruiting win on Friday, as Leesburg (Fla.) Tavares four-star linebacker Izayia Williams announced that he’s flipped from Florida to the Rebels.

It marks the fifth commitment for the elite defensive prospect, as he was also previously pledged to Louisville, Syracuse and Florida State. He’s now committed to head coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels ahead of the summer.

On3’s No. 1 linebacker in the 2026 class, Williams is now the top-ranked commit in the fold for Ole Miss to date. With the addition of the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder, the Rebels moved from No. 40 to No. 21 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Six commits are now in the class. Ole Miss has jumped the likes of UCLA, North Carolina, Michigan, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma heading into the summer.

Looking at Ole Miss’ class thus far

While his commitment has not lasted long at previous stops, Williams is an elite recruit, checking in at No. 13 overall in the updated On300. He ranks No. 41 nationally, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“Izayia Williams jumped on our radar from the start of practice. He was one of the most physically impressive linebackers in attendance,” On3 National Scout Cody Bellaire said of Williams during Under Armour All-America week. “Williams started off a little slow during practice but was one of the best linebackers in the game, tallying seven tackles. He has quite the future ahead of him if the game was any indication.”

Williams is now one of two blue-chip prospects in the class, joining Sacramento Folsom four-star wide receiver Jameson Powell, a top-40 recruit out of California. Powell committed toward the end of January and is the teammate of fellow Rebels target and five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons.

“The coaches are great. They recruited me hard, they made me feel wanted and they will help me develop,” Powell told On3’s Chad Simmons upon committing. “My parents helped me a lot too. They love the coaches, they felt comfortable with my decision and we all felt good about this.”

Ole Miss landed two commitments last month via Austin (Texas) Westlake three-star quarterback Rees Wise and Nettleton (Miss.) Tupelo three-star cornerback Braylon Williams. Wise is a top-500 prospect and currently the nation’s No. 29 QB. He plays for one of the top high school programs in Texas.

Niceville (Fla.) three-star athlete Zion Legree has been in the class since November. He rounds things out alongside Williams and Montgomery (Ala.) Pike Road three-star running back Ja’Michael Jones, the No. 36 RB in the cycle.

The class now also ranks No. 9 in the SEC, checking in ahead of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Florida and Kentucky.