Last Friday Night: Highlights and stats from Ole Miss football recruiting commitments and targets
The 2022 high school football season has officially kicked off, and a number of Ole Miss recruiting commitments and targets showed out in their season-opening games.
The Ole Miss Spirit, over the course of the year, will provide a weekly deep-dive, insider’s perspective on top performances, scouting reports, highlights and stats on prospects of Ole Miss interest in our new series, Last Friday Night.
THE COMMITS
4-star LB Suntarine Perkins
Raleigh (Miss.) and Ole Miss’ highest-ranked commit got their 2022 season off to a good start with a dominating 21-6 win over Bay Springs (Miss.) on Friday. The 6-foot-3, 210 pound commit got the scoring started with a touchdown reception then housed one from 97 yards out. Perkins and his teammates put the clamps down on the Bulldogs, holding them to just six points and less than 100 total yards.
Next week: at Newton County (Miss.), 7:30pm CT
4-star WR Ayden Williams
The newest Ole Miss commit got his senior season underway on Friday, helping Ridgeland (Miss.) defeat Northwest Rankin (Miss.), 29-27. The 6-foot-2, 190 pound wideout finished his senior debut with eight receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
Next week: Pearl, 7pm CT
4-star QB Marcel Reed
Another week for the Rebel commit and another win. Montgomery Bell Academy (Tenn.) had little trouble with visiting Pearl-Cohn (Tenn.), winning handily 49-6. Reed finished the evening going 8-for-14 through the air for 122 yards and two touchdowns and also toted it eight times for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Reed, ranked as the No. 345 player in the 2023 class by the industry-generated On3 Consensus, again was methodical on Friday, taking what the defense gave him with his arm and tucking and taking off when nothing was there. He’s an excellent athlete who flexes his All-State basketball quickness and footwork when he’s fleeing would-be defenders in the openfield, an aspect of his game which isn’t talked about much.
Next week: at McCallie (Tenn.), 7:30pm CT
4-star IOL Brycen Sanders
The 6-foot-6, 290 pound offensive lineman made a statement on Friday with his Baylor School (Tenn.) teammates, traveling west to Nashville and whipping up on Ensworth (Tenn.), 35-17, and moving to 2-0 on the year.
Sanders and his fellow big uglies spearheaded a balanced attack, running for three touchdowns and throwing for two. The Ole Miss commit again flexed his versatility against the Middle Tennessee prep program, playing all across the line from tackle to center.
Next week: Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.), 7:30pm CT
4-star ATH Ahmad Brown
The 6-foot-1, 195 pound athlete was asked to play quarterback for Crisp County (Ga.) on Friday, but he will line up in the secondary once he gets to Oxford next in 2023. Brown and his teammates were overpowered and quickly fell behind against Westlake (Ga.) and ultimately fell, 47-7.
Despite the outcome, On3’s Jeremy Johnson was in attendance and said even though the score didn’t reflect it he said Brown was impressive on defense, calling him “explosive” and a “big-time athlete”.
Next week: Lovejoy (Ga.), 7pm CT
3-star TE Jayvontay Conner
The Ole Miss tight end commit picked up where he left off last week and went off in Week 2. East Forsyth (N.C.) improved to 2-0 with a resounding shutout victory over Rolesville (N.C.), 47-0. The 6-foot-4, 230 pound prospect now has two touchdown receptions on the young season.
Next week: BYE
3-star S Daniel Demery
The do-it-all defensive back from the Metroplex was, well, doing it all on Friday, helping Parish Episcopal School (Tex.) secure a win over Aledo (Tex.), 24-17. Demery finished the game with seven tackles, two interceptions, one pass defended and one forced fumble. I firmly believe he is vastly underrated and could be an immediate impact guy once he arrives on campus. At 5-foot-11, 194 pounds, he is wise beyond his years and plays much bigger than the roster says.
Ole Miss defensive line coach Randall Joyner tells me Demery is a “dog” and “has a mentality and work ethic that is unreal”.
Next week: at Episcopal (Tex.), 7pm CT
THE TARGETS
4-star WR Tyler Williams
Ole Miss will host the 6-foot-2.5, 200 pound prospect for an official visit next weekend. But before he comes to the Sip, he was busy helping Lakeland (Fla.) make quick work of Clearwater (Fla.), 42-6. Williams hauled in a 40-yard touchdown reception early and the Dreadnaughts never looked back.
Next week: Largo (Fla.), 7:30pm CT
4-star RB Dante Dowdell
The Oregon commit kicked off his senior season with a bang, helping Picayune Memorial (Miss.) defeat Poplarville (Miss.), 21-7. At 6-foot-1.5, 210 pounds, Dowdell had his way with the visiting defense all evening.
Next: at Jefferson Davis County (Miss.), 7pm CT (Saturday)
4-star S Isaac Smith
The versatile athlete from Itawamba Agricultural (Miss.) got his senior season started with a bang. In Saturday’s 35-28 win over Amory (Miss.), the 6-foot-1, 190 pounder had three rushing touchdowns on offense and two interceptions on defense, returning one for a touchdown.
Vanderbilt seems to have the inside track for now but sources tell the OMSpirit the Ole Miss staff is still in communication with Smith. And if he continues to play like this week in and week out, he could get a long look from Lane Kiffin and the Rebels.
Next week: at New Albany (Miss.), 7pm CT (Saturday)
4-star RB Christopher Johnson
Miami and Ole Miss are battling for one of the fastest humans in the country and the 5-foot-11, 178 pound running back hit the ground running against Rock Creek Christian Academy (Md.), helping Dillard (Fla.) to an easy 35-0 win.
Next week: at Chaminade-Madonna, 7pm CT
4-star WR Demitrius Bell
Fresh off a decommitment from Michigan State, the McGavock (Tenn.) wideout helped his ball club improve to 2-0 after a 47-14 win over Hillwood (Tenn.) on Friday. The 6-foot-1, 175 pound recruit had a touchdown through the air and on the ground.
Alabama, Kentucky, Florida State, LSU, Penn State and Tennessee, among others, have also offered the Nashville-area product and his recruitment could be one that continues to take off now that he is back on the market.
Next week: at Cane Ridge (Tenn.), 7pm CT
3-star WR Cayden Lee
One of Ole Miss’ top targets helped Kennesaw Mountain (Ga.) improve to 2-0 on the young season with a big win over Campbell (Ga.), 45-14. The slot receiver did a little bit of everything, running it from time-to-time and hauling another touchdown reception.
Lee appears to be down to Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Stanford. A commitment could come any day now.
Next week: at North Paulding (Ga.), 7:30pm CT
3-star LB Taurean York
York committed to Baylor earlier this summer but Ole Miss is still in pursuit. The Temple (Tex.) linebacker was all over the field, making 20+ total tackles against McKinney (Tex.) in a 17-10 win on Saturday. Despite the verbal pledge to Dave Aranda, I expect Ole Miss linebackers coach Maurice Crum and Joyner to continue to recruit the 5-foot-11, 220 pound prospect.
Next week: Willis (Tex.), 7pm CT
