Shekai Mills-Knight is another step closer to locking his college decision.
Mills-Knight, the No. 7-ranked running back in the Rivals250 for the 2025 recruiting class out of Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School, is down to five finalists and has set a date to announce his commitment.
Mills-Knight will choose from Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and Miami when he reveals his decision on Saturday, August 17.
Two SEC programs have been setting the pace with Mills-Knight throughout the summer
"I feel like the teams that show me they need me the most are Ole Miss and Auburn," Mills-Knight told Rivals this summer. "When I come up on campus, they show me love consistently. They hit me up a lot and told me I needed to be there and that they wanted me."
Here's more on his five finalists:
On Auburn
"Ever since my official visit, they’ve been going the extra mile. They always tell me they’ll do anything to have me to get me. I love their culture and I love that coach Nix can call plays since he’s the OC and RB coach. They’ve got a top recruiting class. They've got a great alumni base that got me in the mix with NFL legend Ronnie Brown and they've got really good networking for after football and a great education for what I’m trying to be (a financial advisor)."
On Tennessee
"I’ve been in Tennessee for a year now and it’s shown me nothing but love why leave? They've got a strong recruiting class and my relationship with Coach (De'rail) Sims has been elite since his Cincinnati days and I vibe with Coach Walt (Wells) also. I love their offensive schemes -- it gets the running backs in open space allowing big runs"
On Alabama
"Bama is the standard everybody knows about Bama and everyone’s trying to beat Bama. The power of the scripted A is different ... tt’s a worldwide brand anywhere you go, they know Bama 'Roll Tide' ... The way they compete shows me they mean business and will always be a top team. Bama is 'RBU' drafting great RBs year after year meaning the level of competition in the room would elevate my game. LANK."
On Ole Miss
"They run a great offense and they’ve been top-five offense for several years now. Their position coaches (Kevin) Smith and (Enrique) Davis been there done that, so it’s different being taught by them. I could learn a lot and I love the plan they have to develop me. Ole Miss has the most fun in college football. They were my first offer and have been consistent showing love ever since."
On Miami
"I visited unofficially and then officially, and it was by far my best visit. I don’t think anybody can compete with the many things to do outside of school. The positions coaches there are amazing. Coach Dub and Coach (Matt) Merritt are elite people and show love and I felt at home out there. The weather is lovely, it’s close to my parents' hometown of Jamaica, and they run the ball a lot."
