How Tre Harris, Jaxson Dart Recruited the Transfer Portal for the Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris helped play a role in his team adding some strong talent via the transfer portal this offseason.

Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, Ga., USA; Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn't long ago that wide receiver Tre Harris was being recruited to join the Ole Miss Rebels. Now, his role has shifted to that of a recruiter.

Harris came to Oxford by way of Louisiana Tech prior to last season, but he quickly evolved into the Rebels' No. 1 wide receiver and a favorite passing target for quarterback Jaxson Dart. After his 985 receiving yards and eight scores helped lead Ole Miss to its first-ever 11-win season in 2023, he wanted to help his program take the next step and compete for a College Football Playoff berth this fall.

That meant teaming up with his quarterback in the world of transfer portal recruiting.

READ MORE: 'Pooh' Paul Reveals How Video Games, QB Jaxson Dart Lured Him to Ole Miss Out of Transfer Portal

"Me and [Dart] were constantly on FaceTime calls with [linemen] Diego Pounds, Nate [Kalepo], [wide receiver] Juice [Wells] and guys like that just trying to get everybody to buy in," Harris said on Thursday after a spring practice. "Connecting with those guys and showing them what Ole Miss is about. Showing them that you come here, we're going to go out there and put in work every single day and try to be the best we can possibly be."

Many players have stated that quarterback Jaxson Dart played a big role in their decision to transfer to Ole Miss, and Harris was no exception in the 2022-23 offseason. With some talent departing the roster, Dart helped convince Harris that he could make an immediate impact in Oxford, and he did just that, catching a school-record four touchdowns in the season opener against Mercer.

"Biggest thing, for me, I was looking for a spot that had a QB like Dart," Harris said. "There wasn't really much recruiting that had to be put into it. We talked over the phone plenty of times, and he was always telling me, 'Hey, got guys leaving. So you can come in, step up, and be the guy.'

"That was really the biggest thing we talked about: coming in and being the guy right away. I knew really from the get-go that Ole Miss was going to be my spot."

Harris has now certainly found his role at Ole Miss, and he has helped mold some electric expectations for this team in 2024. The Rebels will continue spring practices until The Grove Bowl on April 13, and they will kick off their regular season on Aug. 31 at home against the Furman Paladins.