One man’s pleasure is another man’s pain. Right now, Lane Kiffin is enjoying the pleasure of the leverage he has over Ryan Day and Mike Elko. Ole Miss wasted no time making waves as they hit the practice field for Day 1 of spring camp. With multiple high-profile recruits present at Oxford, the HC and his staff turned up the heat—especially in the trenches. 

Josh Newberg was curious about the top targets who were on campus for the first day of spring practice. And Ole Miss analyst Billy Embody joined On3 Recruits on March 21 to satiate everybody’s curiosity. “The Rebels continue to have one of the top defensive lines in college football, and they do that by recruiting and restocking the interior,” he said. “One guy that they got back to campus, an Ole Miss legacy Deuce Geralds out of the Peach State, 4-star prospect.” Deuce Geralds will be a huge win for Lane Kiffin given the family ties. His father, Daverin Geralds, was a former Rebels offensive lineman. 

However, securing this 6’1″, 275-pound DL from Suwanee, GA, after his visit, is not a certainty for Ole Miss. “He’s fresh off a visit to Clemson, and Ohio State continues to press for him as well,” the OM Spirit writer added. Ryan Day is in hot pursuit of this No. 5 DL. Per On3’s RPM, Ohio State holds the upper hand with an 83.5% chance to land Deuce Geralds. Meanwhile, Ole Miss sits at a mere 3.1%. Still, Lane Kiffin and D-line coach Randall Joyner aren’t backing down.

Aside from the Buckeyes, Deuce Geralds has also visited Clemson and LSU, while Alabama remains strong in the mix. But there’s no denying his familiarity with Ole Miss. “Deuce has been no stranger to campus,” Embody added. “He’s been around quite a bit. He was already here earlier this year. He’s taken in games. He’s been a constant on campus.” Not only that, he and his dad hosted Lane Kiffin, DC Pete Golding, and Joyner at his high school in Collins Hill twice. And now, as he plans out his official visit, the Rebels are looking for one last push to steer him away from Columbus. Beyond this OSU favorite, Lane Kiffin is on a bold pursuit of an even more ambitious target. 

Lane Kiffin targets Texas A&M’s commit

Lane Kiffin is not only fighting to fend off Ryan Day for Deuce Geralds’ commitment. He’s also looking to poach a commitment from Mike Elko and Texas A&M. The target is their 4-star EDGE Jordan Carter. As Billy Embody reported, the 6’3, 235-pounder from Douglasville, GA, was present on campus for the first spring practice. He committed to the Aggies in October after his high school teammate, 5-star WR Aaron Gregory, locked in his commitment to the program. But Ole Miss stayed in the picture. 

“It wasn’t his first trip either. He was at Ole Miss last summer, so getting back around the program with another state of Georgia prospect,” Embody pointed out. “And Deuce Geralds, they were hanging out and watching Randall Joyner and that staff go to work with that defensive line. So those were two big ones.” But the Aggies aren’t going to go down without a fight. Jordan Carter is set to visit College Station this weekend, and Mike Elko and his staff will try to shut down any thoughts of a flip. 

With spring visits ramping up and commitments on the horizon, Ole Miss is making its move. Lane Kiffin isn’t just looking to build a top class; he’s trying to lock in some of the top recruits along the way.