Top JUCO wideout Deion Smith commits to Ole Miss
Dec. 4—OXFORD — Holmes Community College sophomore wide receiver Deion Smith — the top-rated player in junior college and a former four-star recruit — has committed to Ole Miss, he announced on social media.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder from Jackson caught 48 passes for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games in 2023. He committed to LSU out of Jackson Academy and caught 11 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers as a freshman in 2021. He entered the transfer portal in December 2021 and played two seasons at Holmes. Smith has long been rumored as a target of the Rebels and was offered by Ole Miss on Sept. 17.
Smith's commitment figures to be a huge lift for an Ole Miss receiving corps that could look quite different next season. The Rebels have three receivers with at least 700 receiving yards, and all are seniors with an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dayton Wade has announced he will not be using his final year of eligibility after his breakout 2023 campaign (52 catches, 769 yards, four touchdowns), though he will play in the Peach Bowl. Tre Harris leads the team with 851 yards and eight touchdowns, and Jordan Watkins has 741 yards and three touchdowns. Neither Harris nor Watkins has stated his intentions for the 2024 season. Ole Miss ranks 12th nationally in yards per completion at 14.43, and junior quarterback Jaxson Dart is seventh nationally in yards per attempt (9.39).
No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2, 6-2 SEC) plays No. 10 Penn State (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
