Ole Miss Coaching Staff, Atmosphere Put Rebels No. 1 in Isaiah Brutus' Recruiting

The Ole Miss Rebels have made headway with 2025 safety Isaiah Brutus.

Jan 1, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels helmets are seen on the ground on a time out against the Baylor Bears during the first half of the 2022 Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Safety Isaiah Brutus may not be ranked by a recruiting outlet in the 2025 class, but that hasn't stopped him from attracting attention from some major programs, including the Ole Miss Rebels.

Brutus, who measures in at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, received an offer from Ole Miss on May 10, and he was recently an attendee at the Rebels' Juice Fest recruiting weekend. Alongside the interest from Ole Miss, he has received offers from Kansas, Appalachian State, Arizona State, East Carolina and 12 other programs.

He spoke with Ole Miss OnSI this weekend about his experience at Juice Fest and where the Rebels stand in his recruiting process.

"Weekend was great," Brutus said. "I loved the atmosphere and being able to meet the coaches. My takeaways were Ole Miss has a great coaching staff, coach [Wes] Neighbors and coach Kevin Smith are also some of the coolest coaches I’ve met."

Having coaches who are relatable is a big part in Brutus' decision process, and Ole Miss seems to check that box. Although he is in contact with other programs, he currently has the Rebels at the top of his list.

"Coach Neighboors is easy to learn from and a great person to build a relationship with," Brutus said. "Coach Kev is just a cool guy all around. ... I’d put Ole Miss at No. 1. I’ve Talked to UCF, USF, and I'd like to build a relationship with Pitt."

When asked what his goals were going into his senior season at Osceola (Fla.) High School, Brutus stated that he wants to "do things others can't" and possibly break some single-season records in the process. He also revealed what the most important parts of a program are as he nears his final decision.

"Being able to develop and become a great player under great coaches," Brutus said.