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The Ole Miss Rebels landed a big fish in JUCO wideout Deion Smith this offseason, adding to a star-studded transfer class. After an eight-month battle to secure his services, Smith signed on the dotted line in January.
While that somewhat relieved doubts about his status for the 2024 season, concerns resurfaced with Ole Miss’s opener quickly approaching. The Rebs received bad news on the Deion Smith front Wednesday.
The pass catcher was ruled academically ineligible just days before season’s start. Smith will no longer take the field when Ole Miss takes on Furman this Saturday.
After an exhausting eight-month wait on the nation’s No. 1 junior college wide receiver in the 2024 class to join the Rebels, it appears correspondence course work completed by Smith at Mid American Christian University has been denied by the Ole Miss compliance department.
Head coach Lane Kiffin confirmed reports this week.
Smith initially committed to LSU out of high school, spending a season with the Tigers. He then hit the JUCO ranks.
There, he blossomed into the top wide receiver prospect in his Junior College class. It looked like another shot at the SEC was in store, but for now, that dream is over.
I just wanna ball😩
— DeionSmith🃏 (@deion1_) August 28, 2024
Deion Smith signed with Ole Miss earlier this year.
That signing was quite the production!
Smith showed up in a sleek Lambo before inking his signature with the Rebels, further solidifying Ole Miss’s Top 5 transfer class standing. His NIL checks were cashed, and he showed it with the flashy signing day entrance.
Lane Kiffin talked about the power of NIL in recruiting this offseason, and it played a part in not only landing Smith, but a bevy of others, too. Those payments, however, are never a guarantee of on-field success – or in this case, even a roster spot.
Smith’s talent is undeniable, evidenced by his JUCO All-American tag last year. With Holmes Community College, he racked up 1,062 receiving yards and 12 scores across just eight games.
He showed flashes as a rookie in Baton Rouge, too.
@metricscout Deion Smith #lsu #lsufootball #lsutigers #collegefootball #college #nflfootball #fantasyfootball2021 #fantasyfootballtips ♬ Food Baby – The Musical Shotgun
Unfortunately, we won’t get to see those talents in Oxford this fall.