Ole Miss Football Loses Out on Son of Historic Rebels Basketball Player
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 7:20 PM ET
The Ole Miss Rebels football team has put together another strong recruiting class ahead of the 2025 season. 18 of the team's 22 starters from last year either entered the NFL Draft pool or the transfer portal, so plenty of change is expected this fall.
Head coach Lane Kiffin has grown increasingly adept on the high school recruiting scene during his five-year tenure with the Rebels. He has landed three commitments in the class of 2026 just this week, including two four-star players.
However, Kiffin and his staff have not been able to land every recruit that they want. On Thursday, an Ole Miss legacy player committed to another program.
Jayden Curtis, a three-star defensive lineman in the class of 2026, committed to the University of Central Florida over Ole Miss, Minnesota and others on Thursday.
Curtis is the son of Dwayne Curtis, a former center for the Rebels' basketball team. He played three years at Ole Miss from 2005 to 2008, averaging 13.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest. He was coached by both Rod Barnes and Andy Kennedy.
He was also named to the 2024 SEC Men's Basketball Legends Class as a result of his All-SEC and All-District honors while playing for the Rebels.
Ole Miss' 2026 class is still shaping up to be quite strong, as they currently have 12 hard commits. Four of these players are four-star recruits, with the other eight earning three stars, according to 247 Sports.
This includes defensive line commits like four-star Landon Barnes and three-star defensive tackle Carmelow Reed.
You may also like...
Diddy's Legal Troubles & Racketeering Trial

Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges but convicted on transportation...
Thomas Partey Faces Rape & Sexual Assault Charges

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been formally charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault by UK ...
Nigeria Universities Changes Admission Policies

JAMB has clarified its admission policies, rectifying a student's status, reiterating the necessity of its Central Admis...
Ghana's Economic Reforms & Gold Sector Initiatives

Ghana is undertaking a comprehensive economic overhaul with President John Dramani Mahama's 24-Hour Economy and Accelera...
WAFCON 2024 African Women's Football Tournament

The 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations opened with thrilling matches, seeing Nigeria's Super Falcons secure a dominant 3...
Emergence & Dynamics of Nigeria's ADC Coalition

A new opposition coalition, led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is emerging to challenge President Bola Ahmed ...
Demise of Olubadan of Ibadanland

Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland, has died at 90, concluding a life of distinguished service in t...
Death of Nigerian Goalkeeping Legend Peter Rufai

Nigerian football mourns the death of legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai, who passed away at 61. Known as 'Do...