Ole Miss adds crucial DL piece in Gordon

A day after adding four-star Tysheem Johnson to the 2021 class, defensive line coach Deke Adams is back at it again, adding another big-time playmaker to Lane Kiffin’s first full-time class.

Junior college strong-side defensive end Jamond Gordon has verbally committed to Ole Miss over notable offers from Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and UCF. Gordon, a 2019 high school graduate, originally committed to Auburn over offers from Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas before opting for the junior college route.

The Meridian, Miss. native burst onto the scene as a junior after he finished with 88 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 17.5 sacks. Then, after graduating high school, he continued his interior line dominance in Scooba, Miss., making 21 tackles and two sacks in seven games.

Gordon joins a 2021 class that is now starting to piece together a nice haul on the defensive line. Jibran Hawkins and DeMarcus Smith are both athletic, long, and have the size:speed criteria that this staff wants to start competing at a high level defensively in the Southeastern Conference. The former No. 36 strong-side defensive end in the country brings a punch to this class that it so desperately needed.

ANALYSIS: The 6-foot-4, 280-pounder is a perfect fit for DJ Durkin and Chris Partridge’s defense. The Rebels desperately need some athleticism on the interior not only to stop the run, but to get a consistent pass rush on the outside as well. The Alabama-Mississippi All-Star will be an instant impact defender as he is not only a must-get up front, but he will be battle-tested, playing at the highest level in the NJCAA for the East Mississippi Lions.

I expect him to arrive on campus early and to factor in to the two-deep for the 2021 season. Adams’ quest to rebuild the Ole Miss defensive line room starts with Gordon.