Ole Miss in front for Elston

Could Trae Elston end up trading one Oxford for another?

Elston, a three-star defensive back from Oxford, Ala., made an official visit to Oxford, Miss., this weekend and gave the trip high marks, calling it "an 8 or 9" on a scale of 1 to 10.

Then, he went a step further.

When asked if Mississippi was now in the lead, he replied, "Yes sir."

"The visit went great," Elston said. "I know a lot of people at Ole Miss. My mom liked it very much. It's a great school. They also have great academics. I hung out with Channing Ward a lot."

Elston, who said his favorite part of the visit was spending time in The Grove, also liked the area as a whole.

"It's not too big," he said. "It looks like a great town."

According to Elston, it would be "pretty hard" for someone to overtake the Rebels. Even so, he "probably" will not announce a decision until national signing day, which is Feb. 1.

"I'm going to sit down and talk to my family, and we'll see after that," Elston said.

Elston might have the Rebels in the lead, but the fight for his signature isn't over. According to Elston, who played in both the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic and Under Armour All-America Game (and got to know Ward well at those events], LSU offered him on Saturday. Also, Oklahoma State, which not that long ago seemed like the frontrunner, remains firmly in the picture.

"I'm going to Oklahoma State next weekend, and LSU," Elston said. "I'm going to LSU during the week."

The fact Oklahoma State liked Elston at receiver was one of its best selling points when he was interviewed during the Under Armour All-America Game week. But Sunday, Elston said, "It doesn't really matter" which position he plays in college - safety or receiver.

"Ole Miss said they're recruiting me as an athlete," Elston said. "They have to see when they evaluate me in fall camp."

Keith Niebuhr can be reached at Keithrivals@yahoo.com. You can follow him on Twitter @KeithRIVALS.