Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin brands himself as the Portal King. After amassing a second-in-the-country transfer portal class in 2022, Kiffin and his staff faced another round of portal recruiting in the 2023 class. The Rebels inked commitments from 13 players, locking in the 6th best class in the country this go around.
Much was made of the signing of players like Spencer Sanders and Chris Marshall, but let's shift our focus. Instead of praising the well-known additions, let's look a bit under the surface. Some signings light up the billboards and marquees, and others don't. Here's Ole Miss' most under-the-radar big time signing from the 2023 transfer portal.
Ole Miss football transfer Tre Harris, WR, Louisiana Tech
On December 7th, Ole Miss football landed the commitment of former Texas A&M five-star receiver Chris Marshall. The day before, they landed an equally important receiver from a smaller program.
Tre Harris, who had spent the previous three seasons at Louisiana Tech, committed. This drastically helped their receiver room cope with the departures of Jonathan Mingo, Malik Heath and Jaylon Robinson.
Harris, a 6-foot-2, 204-pound receiver, showed up in Oxford off the back of a sophomore season at Louisiana Tech where he racked up 935 yards and 10 touchdowns from 65 catches.
He and Marshall should form quite the outside duo, allowing highly-rated true freshman Ayden Williams to work out of the slot. Williams has been compared to Ohio State star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, so you'd imagine the slot is where he'd be at his best.
Crucially, Harris also played every game each of the past two seasons, adding stability to a room that's had many more injuries the past few years than any Rebel fan is comfortable with. Whoever the quarterback is, they need stability in their targets. Harris has shown the durability necessary to be that guy.
The Rebs don't necessarily need Harris to produce a 65-catch season again in 2023, but if he can, it's only to the benefit of the offense. The receiver room is healthier, and deeper than it was last year.
For instance, Malik Heath and Jonathan Mingo combined for 111 catches in 2022, with both missing time. If Marshall and Harris can stay on the field for all twelve games, or as close as they can get, expect more than 120 catches between the two.
Having a steady cast of receivers could also help keep star running back Quinshon Judkins fresh. Take the Alabama game for example.
By the time Ole Miss got into the red zone on their final drive, Judkins was completely gassed. He and Lane Kiffin said as much themselves.
If Ole Miss had been able to rely on outside production more throughout the game, that may not have been the case. That potentially wins the game and keeps Ole Miss in the hunt for the SEC West.
It also ends the Kiffin-to-Auburn speculation that completely derailed the back half of the Rebs' season.
That shouldn't be the case in 2023.
Not just with Tre Harris, but with Chris Marshall and Ayden Williams in the fold as well. By this time next year, losing five of their final six games in 2022 should be viewed as the complete anomaly it was.
Tre Harris is a big target and should be able to stay on the field like the Rebs need him to. That should make certain people, like Jaxson Dart, very happy.
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