“I appreciate everyone being here today. We are excited today. This is our first class here. We were in a whirlwind, trying to move all these coaches and families with some of them practicing in the Cotton Bowl. I really want to thank the ladies for a great job. We really wore David Wells, our compliance officer, out. He did a super job of handling all the paperwork. It was a total team effort. The one thing that we were able to do is really get to know some people, even though we were late getting started. We were able to meet a lot of good parents and a lot of good people. We have got some very, very good student-athletes that are coming in here. They are going to be ready to go by August 1. I really want to commend our players that are on campus, too. Our players did a great job of being ambassadors for Ole Miss. We were learning on the run, trying to figure everything out. They did a great job and I appreciate that. Everyone from our chancellor to Dr. Mullins, there were so many people that were involved.
Recruiting is not easy. It’s hard work. The thing that we really wanted to address first was we really wanted to get some tight ends in our system. I really felt that a young man by the name of Gerald Harris will help us. We got him in early. He is in the program right now, going to school. If you see him walking, you say that is what an SEC tight end looks like. He is 6-7, probably a little shy of 250 pounds. And coach (Don) Decker has already got him going. He has already gained about eight pounds since he’s been here. Things like that excite you. Ferbia Allen is another guy that is 6-5, 225 pounds. He is from Pine Bluff, Ark. He is very athletic, and could play either defensive end or tight end. I’m excited about him. E.J. Epperson is from right up the road in Tennessee. He is very athletic. Every time I think of E.J., I think of going through storms on a plane and Chyna was scared to death because the wind was making the plane go everywhere. He is like that. When you watch him play basketball, he is everywhere, looking inside the rim. He is just so athletic and I‘m glad he is on our football team.
We have got four or five offensive linemen that we needed. One guy from Alabama, Joshua Tatum, his grandmother, grandfather and mother all came to campus and said this was the most beautiful campus they have ever seen. That is what makes your heart smile. We knew we had him sold. When you have mama and grandmamma sold, you got them. So, we were really glad to get Joshua from over in Alabama. Brandon Green is another young man that is already in the program. We got him from junior college and is already in the system. I’m glad he is a center. I’m really glad we have him. Another guy is Kermit Tyler. He is a big guy from Louisiana. I’m really glad we have him with his size. A.J. Hawkins is a good guard type big man. He has very good size, very good feet, is strong and all of them come from really good, quality families.
Wide receiver, we have got three or four very good receivers. They are fast. I will start near here with Horatio Williams from Oxford High School. He is a 10.5 100-meter runner. He is very quick and I’m glad he is on our football team. These guys are tall. Andrew Harris is 6-2 1/2, and is from military prep Hargrave. Melvin Harris is another guy. When you get a guy from Atlanta, Ga., that is about 6-7, is very smooth, fast and very sure-footed, he reminds me a lot of Marcus Monk.
We have two quarterbacks this year, Chris Wilkes and Nathan Stanley. Chris is from Orlando, Fla. He was offered early. He is very accurate and has a strong arm. We hung on to him. He had a lot of people coming after him. Nathan Stanley is a young man from Oklahoma. I was very aware of him from summer camps over the past two years. He is 6-5, very athletic with a lot of upside and lot of leadership qualities that you are going to love.
Today, we are happy to have some tailbacks, and I mean they can play. I’m excited about that. I’m not worried about “stars”. I like qualifiers that are going to be eligible. I like guys that are going to be here and play with character and speed. These guys can tote the mail. They run downhill and will hit you in the mouth and will outrun you. We will start with Enrique Davis. He is a solid 212 pounds and runs a 4.4. There is a reason why everybody wants him. That’s because he is a difference maker. He can make the first guy miss, has tremendous speed and comes downhill with power. Brandon Bolden is another guy that is a 10.6 100-meter runner. I can’t wait for coach Decker to get a hold of him. He reminds me a lot of Felix Jones. He is very explosive and has a great mother and father. The upbringing of these guys is just awesome. And then there is Devin Thomas. He played 5A football in Texas. Anytime someone can go 487 yards in one game and then go 327 and then do 290, you are doing something. That is not against 2A or 3A, that is against 5A football in Texas. So I’m excited about these backs. I’m hoping about one more that we can find out about here this afternoon.
All Ole Miss Signees
Ferbia Allen, DE/TE, 6-5, 225, Pine Bluff, Ark.-DollarwayBrandon Bolden, RB, 5-11, 215, Baton Rouge-ScotlandvilleEnrique Davis, RB, 6-1, 215, Lynn Haven, Fla.-A Crawfod-Mosley; HargraveE.J. Epperson, TE, 6-3, 230, Humboldt, Tenn.-HumboldtBrandon Green, C, 6-2, 315, Southaven, Miss., Southaven-Northwest Mississippi C.C.H.R. Greer, FB, 6-0, 225, Olive Branch, Miss.-Southern Baptist Education Center*Gerald Harris, TE, 6-5, 245, Terrell, Texas-Terrell, Navarro CollegeMelvin Harris, WR, 6-6, 185, Buford, Ga.-BufordAaron Hawkins, OL, 6-3, 315, Lithonia, Ga.-Martin Luther KingLekenwic Haynes, DB, 6-3, 200, Rosenberg, Texas-B.F. TerryJason Jones, LB, 6-2, 220, Albany, Ga.-WestoverRandall Mackey, ATH, 6-1, 180, Bastrop-BastropDemareo Marr, DB, 6-2, 180, Southaven, Miss-Desoto Central, NW Miss. CCHunter Miller, DB, 6-1, 185, Sherwood, Ark.-Sylvan HillsGerald Rivers, DE, 6-5, 240, Ellenwood, Ga.-Cedar GroveBrandon Sanders, DB, 6-0, 190, Suwanee, Ga.-Peachthree RidgeJustin Smith, DL, 6-4, 280, Alpharetta, Ga.-ChattahoocheeNathan Stanley, QB, 6-5, 195, Tahlequah, Okla.-Sequoyah*Emmanuel Stephens, DE, 6-2, 220, Houston-Waltrip; Blinn C.C.Joshua Tatum, OL, 6-5, 315, Marbury, Ala.-MarburyDevin Thomas, RB, 5-11, 195, San Antonio-MadisonPatrick Trahan, LB, 6-3, 225, New Orleans-St. Augustine; Auburn; Northwest Mississippi C.C.Kermit Tyler, OL, 6-4, 335, Marrero-L.W. Higgins*Julian Whitehead, DB, 5-10, 180, Lilburn, Ga.-Parkview; HargraveChris Wilkes, QB, 6-4, 220, Orlando, Fla.-Dr. PhillipsHoratio Williams, WR, 6-2, 175, Oxford, Miss.-Oxford
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