Not long ago, Ole Miss received a commitment from the country’s #2 running back for the 2025 class, Quitman’s Akylin Dear. Dear backed out of his commitment many weeks ago, but now appears to be planning to commit to Alabama later this week. While Dear’s recruitment is far from finished, Lane Kiffin is not the kind to put all of his eggs in one basket, especially when several Ole Miss running backs are in their final year in Oxford.
Shekai Mills-Knight, a four-star rusher has committed to the Rebs, providing Kiffin and his team with a solid foundation as they rebuild the running backs room in 2025.
Mills-Knight, presently ranked as the consensus #271 player in the country, stands 6’2 and weighs 210 pounds, but he appears to have an excellent all-around skill set. His Hudl highlights show a complete runner with a tremendous first step, ability to outpace or run over tacklers, some receiving capability out of the backfield, solid feel for following blockers, and the ability to get upfield quickly. If you’re still sorry about missing out on Dear, I’d certainly recommend watching his highlights.
4Mill-Knight, a graduate of Chattanooga’s Baylor School, competes against some difficult opposition while remaining a man among boys.
So there’s a reason why Akylin Dear is ranked as the #38 player in the country and Mills-Knight as the #271. More skilled evaluators than I have taken numerous looks at both guys. However, Ole Miss appears to be quite interested in both players, as are Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, and a number of other major institutions that have offered them.
With the addition of Mills-Knight, the Ole Miss 2025 class is now ranked #20 in the country, according to On3; not bad given the Rebs’ strong concentration on the portal.
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