Ruby DraayerThe Ole Miss football program lands at No. 17 in recruiting class rankings after four-star defensive lineman Tywone Malone announced his commitment to Ole Miss this week.
Malone was the only recruit to sign to Ole Miss this week, but it was a huge pick-up for the Ole Miss football and baseball programs as the player plans to play both sports. The defensive line for Ole Miss was an area that struggled throughout the 2020 season, and Malone will come to a team that desperately needs his 6-foot-4, 300-pound frame. He signed with the Rebels over programs such as Texas A&M, Florida State, Tennessee and others.
“We were excited about the initial class of 24 players, and to add one today — and a top-50 player in the country who’s not just a great football player but also a great baseball player — we’re really excited about our pick,” head coach Lane Kiffin said in a press conference.
The 2021 signing class wrapped up when Ole Miss signed Malone, the highest-rated prospect since running back Jerrion Ealy. The majority of the signees came during the early signing period, and 15 of them early-enrolled in the semester.
In addition to Malone, Ole Miss signed seven 4-stars to this recruiting class, and many are believed to step in and make an immediate impact. The new players will now have a longer time to understand the style of play and go through spring training with the entire team.
The focus throughout this recruitment was to strengthen weak areas, specifically on the defense, and there are multiple players who fans and pundits expect to be key difference makers at the start of the season.
“When you’re down to a couple of spots, you want them to be great players,” Kiffin said. “I would like them to be defensive players, especially DL. If there’s a great player, we’ll take him because that’s what big-time programs do.”
The current Ole Miss linemen struggled to be able to tackle for loss or get off a block in the 2020 fall season. Kiffin and the rest of the staff worked hard to fix that issue.
The top two junior college defensive tackles were also signed on to the incoming recruiting class. Hutchinson Community College defensive tackle Isaiah Iton and East Mississippi defensive end Jamond Gordon have more experience than some of the freshmen that will be coming in. They weren’t able to play this last season due to COVID-19, but with summer and fall workouts, the players will be able to make the smooth transition to the SEC.
The program also gave Louisiana native Caden Costa a scholarship to join the team as a kicker. The three-star recruit will be expected to kick and kick well, although Kiffin doesn’t often use his kickers and is notorious for going for it on fourth-and-long.
With the newest additions to the program, Ole Miss will head into the 2021 season with the ability to compete with other top-20 teams.
