Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt and his staff got National Signing Day off to a great start today as they received letters of intent from 18 players. Leading the list of standout players from Mississippi were South Panola wide receiver Nickolas Brassell (6-foot-1, 175 pounds, 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash), Philadelphia linebacker C.J. Johnson (6-3, 243, 4.63), Madison Central wideout Tobias Singleton (6-0, 185, 4.38) and Raleigh wide receiver Donte Moncrief (6-2, 200). Landing Brassell, who had been committed to Mississippi State during the 2010 football season, gave the Rebels the top three wide receiver prospects in the state as well as made them one of the top receiving units for the 2011 signing class in the entire nation. By signing Brassell, Singleton and Johnson, who was also committed to Mississippi State during the season, Nutt was able to land the top three players in the state, according to recruiting analysts who rated the trio as consensus four-star prospects. Johnson, Singleton and Brassell all played in this year’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio and are rated as three of the top 150 players in the nation.
Johnson, who was recently named a Parade All-American, is rated as the second-best inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com. He finished his senior year with 149 tackls and two interceptions and was named the Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year by the Mississippi Association of Coaches. Singleton and Brassell are both rated as two of the best wideouts in the nation. Singleton earned All-American recognition from SupePrep and PrepStar and he was a first team member of the Class 6A MAC team.
Brassell, who received late interest from Alabama to sign a letter of intent, helped lead South Panola to the Class 6A state title this past season.
Other signees
Joining the highly rated trio as signees today were Jackson Callaway offensive lineman Aaron Morris (6-5, 310), who is rated as the top offensive lineman in the state; Morris’ teammate at Callaway, offensive lineman Justin Bell (6-3, 320); Winona safety Chief Brown (6-2, 190); Raleigh defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton (6-3, 265); Destrehan, La., offensive lineman Ethan Hutson (6-4, 295); Russellville, Ark., offensive lineman Mitch Hall (6-6, 330); Northwest Mississippi Community College tight end Jamal Mosley (6-4, 250); Madison, Ala., wide receiver Collins Moore (6-2, 185); Pascagoula defensive back Senquez Golson (6-0, 180); Birmingham, Ala., defenive end Kameron Wood (6-4, 220) and Sanford, Fla., linebacker Serderius Bryant (5-10, 220); New Orleans conerback Floyd Raven (6-1, 85); Tampa linebacker Keith Lewis (6-1, 215) and Gadsden City, Ala., WR T.J. Worthy (6-2, 185).
UPDATES:
—It is being reported by RebelGrove.com that Taylorsville linebacker Marcus Mayers has signed with Jones County C.C. due to grade issues. There is still a chance Mayers could sign with Ole Miss, it just won’t be today.
—Ole Miss has announced that JUCO DL Uriah Grant has officially signed. Grant’s teammate, CB Aaron Garbutt, has officially singed with Ole Miss as well.
—Sitting at Houston Nutt’s press conference at the Indoor Practice Facility. Apparently the announcement of Raven singing was premature and he looks to be headed to Texas A&M. Somewhat of a soap opera involving the CB from Louisiana. Players listed most recently by Ole Miss as signed are Itawamba QB Maikhail Miller, Bay Springs athlete Cody Prewitt and Mayers.
—Nutt just confirmed the signature on the LOI Ole Miss received was from Raven’s mother’s… not Floyd’s. Once they discovered it was forged they Ole Miss moved on. (February 2, 2011, Page 6)
