Deion Smith, a highly recruited junior-college wide receiver transfer, will not join the Ole Miss football team this fall, head coach Lane Kiffin announced Wednesday.
Smith’s position has been uncertain since December, when he committed to the Rebels as the top junior-college recruit in the country. However, on Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference, Kiffin stated that Smith had not been cleared to play for Ole Miss in 2024 and appeared to hint that he never will be.
“Today, I was informed that he will not be a part of our program,” Kiffin told On3 Sports. “So it appears to be the case. I wish him the best of luck and wish it had worked out. “That’s all I have.”
Smith, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, signed with LSU as a 4-star prospect for the 2021 class. As a true freshman, he had 11 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns before transferring to Holmes (Miss.) Community College the following spring.
Despite missing the 2022 season, the 6-foot-4 Smith earned an NJCAA All-American at Holmes last year. He caught 48 receptions for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games for the Bulldogs, and 247 Sports ranked him as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2024 class.
Even without Smith, Ole Miss has a deep receiving corps this season. Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins return as starters from last year’s team, while Antwane “Juice” Wells, a former South Carolina standout, transferred in before spring camp.
Ole Miss, ranked sixth in the preseason, will open the 2024 season at home against Furman on Saturday.
