Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin have been pursuing one of the best edge defender recruits in the country for a year and a half now. Jake Kreul, a five star stud from IMG Academy in Florida has announced his three finalists and the Rebels officially made the cut.
However, this isn’t the first time this recruiting cycle that Kiffin and company have been finalists for a top recruit. They’ve fallen short in close battles for over a dozen recruits as a final “hat on the table” since this spring. Can they pull off what would be a bit of a surprise victory over some SEC rivals?
Ole Miss hoping for last minute miracle to land EDGE Jake Kreul
The Rebels are almost always one of the earliest programs to get a scholarship offer in on their top targets. That was the case once again when it came to five star edge rusher Jake Kreul, offering him shortly after his sophomore season, ahead of several blue blood programs.
Oklahoma and Texas, his two other finalist schools, were in on him just ahead of his junior season as well, but it’s clear his long-term relationships with Ole Miss staffers have helped them make this final cut ahead of his August 12 commitment date. Unfortunately, multiple recruiting insiders in contact with A to Z Sports believe that Kreul is leaning more towards the Sooners or Longhorns at the moment instead of the Rebels.
Elite EDGE Jake Kreul is now set to commit on Aug. 12 and will choose between Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas⌛️
One program has gained momentum, @SWiltfong_ reports👀
Intel: https://t.co/5tRit9OB5P pic.twitter.com/OpgT1YZMrc
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 6, 2025
How could Ole Miss change their fortune here with less than a week to go in this recruitment?
Selling Kreul on the obvious path to early playing time for Ole Miss could be something that Texas and the Sooners may not have given the current state of their depth charts (especially the Longhorns with Colin Simmons and a bevy of high pedigree talents). The Rebels will likely need more depth at both hands-in-the-dirt defensive end and their buck position following this season.
Ole Miss can also sell Kreul on their recent player development proof of concept via talents like Princely Umanmielen, Walter Nolen, and JJ Pegues this past year (all drafted this spring). Plus, the Rebels have a four year streak with a defensive end getting selected in the NFL Draft (Cedric Johnson 2024, Tavius Robinson 2023, and Sam Williams 2022).
Despite what some insiders may believe, Kreul certainly doesn’t seem set on his choice just yet either. He just announced his finalists, but shortly thereafter was teasing his Florida Gators official offer on social media (as you can see in post below).
🐊 👀 pic.twitter.com/nPBA9rSgsu
— Jake Kreul 5⭐️ EDGE (@JK_DE_SNAKE_34) August 6, 2025
The Gators were also one of the teams who had him in for an official visit earlier this summer, so it’s not really a surprise that he’s hinting at them now, but it might suggest he’s hardly convinced that just one school is the answer (just yet). He is a Florida legacy–his dad attended Florida as well. This could mean Ole Miss has one more school to worry about. It could also mean his recruitment is still not quite closed.
Ole Miss fans just need to hope Lane Kiffin and his staff can close the deal here soon. Right now, the Rebels barely have a top 25 rated class for 2026. Landing Jake Kreul would completely change that.
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