Alabama-Mississippi All-Stars: No consensus on Ole Miss sanctions
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HATTIESBURG, Miss – When it comes to the future of Ole Miss recruiting, the outlook depends largely on who you ask. The current situation is either a small speed bump or a massive roadblock -- a meaningless stutter step or a program-changing event.
On a cool Sunday afternoon, that debate is unfolding here, inside a makeshift sleeping dorm on the grounds of the Camp Shelby military base. Members of the Alabama and Mississippi All-Star teams have congregated here for the annual game between the sides. And while Saturday’s showdown is the week’s larger focus, much of the talk at registration centers around recruiting.
The Rebels’ decision to promote Matt Luke and the postseason ban the came down in the wake of said decision are major bullet points in today’s conversation. But picking a random prospect and asking for his thoughts on the matter is a dangerous proposition. The debate here is spirited. Measured opinions are rare.
“I don’t worry about them or what happens to them,” said Mississippi State tight end commit Brad Cumbest. “I hate Ole Miss. I can’t stand them. …This is all their fault. That’s what they get.”
And while Cumbest, a Bulldog commit, may not be the most unbiased party, the facts are indisputable. Four of the top five players in the state of Mississippi are committed to Mississippi State. The Rebels only have 11 total pledges in the 2018 class and of those just five are from in-state prospects. This is a problem. Not even the most dedicated Rebel fan will dispute that.
The good news is that that those closest to the issues Ole Miss now faces are confident they’re being corrected. Starkville High School head coach Chris Jones coached current Ole Miss star A.J. Brown and sees major college talent come through his program on a yearly basis. In his opinion, the year ahead will dictate how the Matt Luke Era in Oxford shakes out.
“One of the main things is that, in talking to AJ and the other guys, is that the players want [Luke] there,” Jones said. “I think you’ll see them play a lot harder for him than they did. It’s why this year if big for them. This whole thing has hurt them and it will hurt them, but I don’t think it’s the bowl ban itself. It’s more about the uncertainty. Kids want to know what it’s going to be like under Luke. Is he going to be the guy for the long haul? These kids, they want to know things are stable. They want to know something. This year will say a lot.”
According to Jones, the crop of in-state prospects in the 2019 class is one of the best he can remember since he’s coached in the state. It’s why he says, despite the postseason ban, Luke’s first season as the program’s head coach could set the pace for his career. Show something on the field and things will likely return to normal when it comes to recruiting. Fail to do so, and the uncertainty that currently reigns will continue to run wild.
“I asked coach Luke about [the sanctions] first thing and he told me straight forward,” said Cameron White, an Ole Miss commit. “When it all came down, he called me after breakfast and outlined it for me. He told me, ‘if you want to still be with us, fine. If not, I get that.’ He always tells the truth. I like that.
“I was never worried about the bowl stuff, really. I was only worried about the coaching situation. I was only worried that coach Luke got the head coach job. As soon as that happened, the bowl game stuff didn’t matter to me.”
Four-star wide receiver Malik Heath is committed to Mississippi State but is still considering the Rebels among others. On Monday, he said he’s mulling the idea of an official visit to Oxford should he decline to sign with the Bulldogs during the early signing period. To him, bowl games matter not.
“It really doesn’t affect my decision,” Heath said. “it’s just one year. And, to be honest, what’s a bowl mean anyway? If you’re still being broadcast and you’re still on TV a lot, the NFL can still see you. The bowl system doesn’t matter for that, so it doesn’t matter to me.”
There’s a flipside to that coin of course. And Heath doesn’t have to look further than two feet to his left in search of somebody to debate him. Across the small room sits quarterback James Foster, an Alabama-based uncommitted prospect with offers from major programs. He has his own thoughts one the situation, and doesn’t mind sharing them with Heath … or anyone else for that matter.
“It’s just gotta be a bad feeling to play all those games and then not have anything like a bowl game after that,” Foster said. “It’s like you’re playing for nothing. I mean, what are you playing for at that point? Pride? Pffft.”
Whatever the team is playing for next season, Luke will be coaching for recruiting momentum. And the situation Ole Miss currently faces makes first impressions even more important.
“I think Luke is going to do a good job with the kids,” Jones said. “That’s one of his strengths. He’s more of a player’s coach than they’ve had there. Then with being from the state and Ole Miss, he knows how to relate to these kids a little more. But the biggest thing is winning.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story attributed a quote to Jett Johnson. It was not Jett Johnson, but Brad Cumbest to whom the quote should have been attributed.
