Ole Miss soccer head coach Lane Kiffin manufacturers himself because the Portal King. After amassing a second-in-the-country transfer portal class in 2022, Kiffin and his employees confronted one other spherical of portal recruiting within the 2023 class. The Rebels inked commitments from 13 gamers, locking within the sixth greatest class within the nation this go round.
A lot was product of the signing of gamers like Spencer Sanders and Chris Marshall, however let’s shift our focus. As an alternative of praising the well-known additions, let’s look a bit below the floor. Some signings mild up the billboards and marquees, and others don’t. Right here’s Ole Miss’ most under-the-radar large time signing from the 2023 transfer portal.
Ole Miss soccer transfer Tre Harris, WR, Louisiana Tech
On December seventh, Ole Miss soccer landed the dedication of former Texas A&M five-star receiver Chris Marshall. The day earlier than, they landed an equally vital receiver from a smaller program.
Tre Harris, who had spent the earlier three seasons at Louisiana Tech, dedicated. This drastically helped their receiver room deal with the departures of Jonathan Mingo, Malik Heath and Jaylon Robinson.
Harris, a 6-foot-2, 204-pound receiver, confirmed up in Oxford off the again of a sophomore season at Louisiana Tech the place he racked up 935 yards and 10 touchdowns from 65 catches.
He and Marshall ought to kind fairly the skin duo, permitting highly-rated true freshman Ayden Williams to work out of the slot. Williams has been in comparison with Ohio State star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, so that you’d think about the slot is the place he’d be at his greatest.
Crucially, Harris additionally performed each recreation every of the previous two seasons, including stability to a room that’s had many extra accidents the previous few years than any Insurgent fan is snug with. Whoever the quarterback is, they want stability of their targets. Harris has proven the sturdiness essential to be that man.
The Rebs don’t essentially want Harris to provide a 65-catch season once more in 2023, but when he can, it’s solely to the advantage of the offense. The receiver room is more healthy, and deeper than it was final yr.
As an illustration, Malik Heath and Jonathan Mingo mixed for 111 catches in 2022, with each lacking time. If Marshall and Harris can keep on the sector for all twelve video games, or as shut as they will get, count on greater than 120 catches between the 2.
Having a gradual solid of receivers may additionally assist hold star operating again Quinshon Judkins contemporary. Take the Alabama recreation for instance.
By the point Ole Miss bought into the purple zone on their last drive, Judkins was utterly gassed. He and Lane Kiffin mentioned as a lot themselves.
If Ole Miss had been capable of depend on outdoors manufacturing extra all through the sport, that will not have been the case. That probably wins the sport and retains Ole Miss within the hunt for the SEC West.
It additionally ends the Kiffin-to-Auburn hypothesis that utterly derailed the again half of the Rebs’ season.
That shouldn’t be the case in 2023.
Not simply with Tre Harris, however with Chris Marshall and Ayden Williams within the fold as nicely. By this time subsequent yr, dropping 5 of their last six video games in 2022 needs to be seen as the whole anomaly it was.
Tre Harris is an enormous goal and may be capable to keep on the sector just like the Rebs want him to. That ought to make sure folks, like Jaxson Dart, very completely happy.
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