The Grove Report

Coveted Alabama Running Back, Ole Miss Football Target High on the Rebels

Lane Kiffin and Co. continue their pursuit of a talented running back, priority target in the 2026 cycle.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of Ja'Michael Jones' X/Twitter: @MikeJones_21.
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Montgomery (Ala.) Pike Road three-star running back Ja'Michael Jones continues working through a rigorous recruiting process as he gears up for his senior campaign in 2025.

Jones, a 5-foot-10, 190-pounder with a myriad of schools pursuing his services, included Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Rebels among his "Top-8" schools over the weekend.

Ole Miss landed alongside Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee as the finalists.

Jones has received over 30 offers during his prep career with Kiffin's crew now making the cut for one of the top running backs in the South.

The goal is for Jones to make his way down to Oxford this month as he looks to get a closer look into the Rebels and Kiffin's program.

But it's set to be an impressive battle for his services with a slew of school turning up the heat for this offseason.

Now, with a Top-8 locked in, it's full steam ahead for Jones to set an official visit schedule for the summer with Ole Miss looking to snag one of their own.

The Rebels are also set to receive a visit from one of the top signal-callers in America before March ends...

Ryder Lyons: No. 4 QB in America

Folsom (Calif.) five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons remains one of the most coveted prospects in America as he locks in on his recruitment process.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder rounded out his junior campaign in 2024 with 46 passing touchdowns and six interceptions after continuing his impressive prep career.

He's now up to an impressive career total of 84 passing touchdowns to 14 interceptions throughout his three seasons of high school ball.

Up next for Lyons, the No. 3 rated signal-caller in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle, is checking out a handful of schools he's ready to visit this offseason.

The California native has multiple West Coast schools on his radar, but will also branch out to the SEC with programs gaining his attention.

Lyons caught up with On3 Sports over the weekend where he listed five programs he's set to visit across the next few weeks: The Ole Miss Rebels, USC Trojans, BYU Cougars, Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines.

The prized quarterback stole headlines earlier this month after taking a surprise visit to FCS program Sacramento State, but it's clear the elite prospect will remain focused on Power Four schools.

Lyons caught up with High School On SI to discuss his recruitment process and the buzz on schools he's interested in.

"Oregon... pretty much all the time," Lyons said of which school he talks to the most. "Coach Lanning, coach (Will) Stein... pretty great relationship with those two, my whole family, which is pretty incredible."

"...The big thing with Oregon is how long is Coach Stein going to be there?"

But it'll be a rigorous process for Lyons down the stretch in his recruitment with a myriad of schools looking to reel in the talented quarterback.

Now, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels will look to get the signal-caller down to Oxford for a visit to campus sooner rather than later.

Lyons told High School On SI that he, "intends to make his college commitment in July following his official visits, which will go to six schools (so far) - BYU, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oregon and USC."

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Quarterback Confident He's "The Best" QB in the 2025 NFL Draft

Top-10 Quarterback in America Locks in Ole Miss Visit

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels Confirm Spring Game Plans in April

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

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