Ole Miss Football Welcomes 20 Mid-Year Enrollees

With spring football just a few months away, the Ole Miss football program has added a new infusion of talent to the roster, welcoming 20 mid-year enrollees to campus.

The list of new Rebels joining the team for spring practice features 13 Division I transfers that On3 currently ranks as the No. 3 class in the team transfer rankings. Ole Miss claimed four of the top 50 available transfers, according to On3.

The latest D1 transfers include Victor Curne (OL), Caden Davis (K), Joshua Harris (DT), Tre Harris (WR), Walker Howard (QB), Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste (LB), Chris Marshall (WR), Quincy McGee (OL), Monty Montgomery (LB), Caden Prieskorn (TE), Spencer Sanders (QB), John Saunders Jr (CB) and Zamari Walton (CB).

Five December signees: AJ Brown (S), Jayvontay Conner (TE), Cayden Lee (WR), Braxton Myers (CB), Brycen Sanders (OL), along with walk-ons Joshua Aka (WR) and Antione Johnson (LB) round out Ole Miss’ early enrollees.

Sanders, a quarterback transfer from Oklahoma State, is rated as a four-star transfer and the nation’s No. 19 overall transfer according to On3. Sanders appeared in 43 career games for the Cowboys, earning 2019 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and 2021 first team All-Big 12 accolades. He threw for 9,553 yards, ran for 1,956 yards and posted 85 total touchdowns during his four-year career in Stillwater. Sanders went 31-12 as a starter, which included a 12-2 campaign in 2021.

Louisville transfer, Montgomery, is coming off a career season with the Cardinals in which he tallied 70 total tackles, including 11 tackles for loss and six sacks. He was tied for the team lead with four forced fumbles and also tallied five quarterback hurries and two interceptions. In his four-year career with Louisville, Montgomery amassed 160 tackles and 15 sacks in 39 career games.

Another top-50 On3 transfer, Marshall comes to Oxford after appearing in six games for Texas A&M as a true freshman. The Missouri City, Texas, native hauled in 11 catches for 108 yards in his first collegiate season. A four-star recruit out of Fort Bend Marshall High School, Marshall didn’t play football until his junior season with the Buffalos. He was a 2022 Under Armour All-American as a senior, tallying 466 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in just seven games.

Tre Harris, who is ranked as the No. 35 transfer by On3, recently earned first team All-Conference USA honors after his stellar 2022 campaign for Louisiana Tech. Harris led Louisiana Tech with 935 receiving yards while tallying 65 receptions and 10 receiving touchdowns. Harris’ 10 receiving touchdowns ranked second among all C-USA players and 11th nationally. He tallied three 100-yard receiving games last season for the Bulldogs, including a 157-yard outing against Middle Tennessee.

Howard, a quarterback transfer from LSU, is Ole Miss’ highest rated transfer according to 247Sports, coming in at No. 35. Howard appeared in two contests for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2022. The Lafayette, Louisiana, native was one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects in the 2022 class. Howard was rated as the nation’s No. 1 dual-threat QB by ESPN and listed No. 5 by 247Sports. He was listed as the nation’s No. 27 overall prospect by ESPN and No. 34 by 247Sports. The Elite 11 participant and 2020 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year helped lead St. Thomas More to back-to-back state titles as a sophomore and junior.

Curne, a four-year letterwinner at Washington, appeared in 26 total games for the Huskies, earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors in 2020 and 2021. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Curne finished his Washington career having played 1,090 offensive snaps with a well above average 72.0 Pro Football Focus grade, primarily as a right tackle for the Huskies.

Davis appeared in 33 career games over three seasons at Texas A&M. He served as the Aggies’ primary kickoff specialist since 2020. 85 percent of Davis’ career kickoffs (155 of 183) have gone for touchbacks.

Joshua Harris appeared in 31 career games for North Carolina State on the defensive line. The Roxboro, N.C., native registered 11 total tackles last year, including three tackles for loss. Harris was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. He was the No. 143 recruit nationally according to Rivals and No. 251 by 247Sports.

Jean-Baptiste joins the Rebels coming off back-to-back productive seasons serving as captain and starting linebacker for the UCF defense. Jean-Baptiste leaves UCF after posting his second consecutive 50-tackle season with the Knights, and the Florida City, Florida, native leaves the program having notched 152 tackles, 14 TFLs, eight pass breakups, two sacks and two forced fumbles across his four-year career.

McGee, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound interior offensive lineman, joins Ole Miss following a two-year stint as a starting lineman for the UAB Blazers. The Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native returns to his home state coming off a year in which he carved his way through the trenches enroute to earning second team All-Conference USA honors for his efforts at right guard. McGee served as a starter in 12 of UAB’s 13 games in 2022, helping pave the way for the Blazers to rush for an average of 235.3 yards per game, a stat that ranked eighth nationally.

Memphis tight end Prieskorn adds yet another threat to the Ole Miss offense. In three years with the Tigers, Prieskorn cemented himself as one of the top aerial threats in the AAC after earning numerous accolades that include being named a 2022 first team All-AAC selection by PFF and Phil Steele. Following a junior season in which Prieskorn finished with 48 receptions for 602 yards and seven touchdowns through the air, the Lake Orion, Michigan, native earned himself a spot as a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award.

Saunders Jr., joins the Rebel secondary from Miami (Ohio). The former Redhawk cornerback brings multiple years of eligibility and experience to the Ole Miss squad. The High Point, North Carolina, native tallied 52 total tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions on his way to receiving a spot on the All-MAC third team defense. Saunders will look to showcase the ball skills that helped him bring in five career interceptions and break up 15 total passes while in Ohio.

Walton, a former Georgia Tech defensive back, rounds out the list of Rebel additions. He started in 37 of his 48 career appearances with the Yellow Jackets and brings a veteran presence to the Ole Miss defense, having been a five-time letterwinner while at Georgia Tech. The Melbourne, Florida, native’s five-year stint in Atlanta saw him make a total of 125 tackles in his career, as well as having three career interceptions and 20 pass breakups.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports