Ole Miss adds to top-ranked portal class
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Jan. 16—Ole Miss' top-ranked transfer portal class just keeps getting better.
A quartet of highly-rated transfers — LSU running back Logan Diggs, Virginia Tech tight end Dae'Quan Wright, North Carolina offensive lineman Diego Pounds and South Alabama safety Yam Banks each committed to the Rebels in recent weeks. Diggs, Wright and Banks are each ranked as four-star transfers by 247Sports while Pounds is ranked as a three-star. Ole Miss already has commitments from the top player in the portal, former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolen, and five of the top-70 rated players.
Diggs began his career at Notre Dame before playing his junior season at LSU. He ran for 653 yards and seven touchdowns for the Tigers and has 1,705 career rushing yards. Diggs rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns against the Rebels in Oxford, his third-highest total of the season. His commitment is an important one for the Rebels, as Quinshon Judkins — who ran for 2,725 and 31 touchdowns in two All-SEC seasons at Ole Miss — transferred to Ohio State. Diggs and senior Ulysses Bentley IV figure to make up a large chunk of Ole Miss' running game in 2024. Bentley recently announced he would be returning for an additional season after running for 540 yards in 2023.
Wright started seven games as a sophomore for the Hokies, catching 28 passes for 366 yards. He will join senior Caden Prieskorn as another formidable weapon from the tight end spot for Ole Miss. Prieskorn was second-team All-SEC in 2023 and was offensive MVP of the Peach Bowl. Pounds started nine games at left tackle for the Tar Heels in 2023 and has two years of eligibility remaining. Banks has seven interceptions over the last two seasons at South Alabama, where he played both cornerback and safety. The Ridgeland native was first-team All-Sun Belt in 2022 and third-team in 2023.
The Peach Bowl champion Rebels (11-2) are fresh off the first 11-win campaign in program history and a top-10 finish in both the AP and Coaches polls. Quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receivers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins, defensive linemen J.J. Pegues and Jared Ivey, safety John Saunders, Bentley and Prieskorn are among the notable players who will return to Ole Miss in 2024 as the Rebels look to break into the expanded College Football Playoff.
