Notes: What 2023 prospects Oluwatosin Babalade, Tawfiq Byard and Noble Johnson had to say about their Ole Miss offers
The Northeast is fertile recruiting territory for Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Partridge.
He’s originally from New Jersey, and he previously served as an assistant coach at Lafayette (Pa.) College. The Rebels have a number of prospects from the region during Partridge’s two-plus-year Ole Miss tenure, including Tysheem Johnson, Demon Clowney, Tywone Malone, Taleeq Robbins and Davison Igbinosun.
And if Partridge has it his way, the Rebels will land a few more in 2023.
Partridge, on Wednesday, offered DeMantha (Md.) Catholic teammates Oluwatosin Babalade and Tawfiq Byard. Babalade is a 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive lineman. Byard is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety.
“They’ve just been saying they love my film and they want me to come check it out,” Babalade said. “I like their sports and when they do the Walk of Championships on game day. And I like their fans.”
Ole Miss has some ground to make up for both Babalade and Byard.
Babalade said he’s currently being recruited the hardest by Maryland, Boston College and Miami (Fla.). For Byard, it’s South Florida and West Virginia.
Babalade recently visited Maryland, and he said he plans to attend West Virginia for the Mountaineers junior day this weekend. Byard is going to Penn State on Saturday, and he’d like to see South Florida, Ole Miss and Cincinnati in the spring.
Ole Miss was set to host its first junior day this weekend, however, the Rebels pushed it to March.
“I love their safety play and how they are all very versatile and can play all four positions,” Byard said. He’s also be in communication with Ole Miss defensive analyst Elijah Sandweiss.
“I’m looking for a school that has strong traditions and is focused on me. Also, a school that does a lot with their safeties, whether it’s a two-high or one-high look.”
Babalade and Byard weren’t the only prospects to pick up an Ole Miss offer on Thursday.
Rockwall (Texas) High School wide receiver Noble Johnson picked one up, too. Johnson is ranked as a three-star by the On3 Consensus — a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
“I have never talked to a coach at Ole Miss ever, but (Ole Miss defensive line coach Randall Joyner) showed up at my school and said they were going to offer,” Johnson said. “I was caught by surprise, but Ole Miss would surely be a place I could see myself going to.”
Johnson is the No. 358 prospect in the country, as well as the No. 59 wide receiver and No. 62 player in Texas.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Johnson holds additional offers from, among others, USC, Miami (Fla.), Tennessee, Missouri and TCU. He said Texas Tech and Washington are currently recruiting him the hardest, and he doesn’t have any visits lined up yet.
“I don’t know much about Ole Miss, but I look up to (former Rebel wide receiver) DK Metcalf,” Johnson said. “He’s my role model when it comes to playing football, so that’s an upside (for Ole Miss).”
