Ole Miss looking for "athletic lineman" and Reed fits the bill

Jackson North Side (Tenn.) offensive tackle Izaiah Reed received two early offers from Austin Peay and Eastern Kentucky. Then, the Power 5 came calling when Ole Miss and offensive line coach Randy Clements submitted an offer his way.

"Coach Clements submitted the offer," Reed said. "We talked some yesterday as well."

Reed lives in close proximity to Oxford, Miss., and the recent NFL success and year one fireworks from Lane Kiffin and the Rebels is not lost on the 2022 prospect.

"I really started keeping up with them when A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf were doing their thing there," Reed said. "I watched a lot of their games this year and they had a great year and finished with a bowl win."

Clements submitted the offer earlier this week and Reed said it was due to his ability to be versatile and surgical in the open field.

"He told me they need athletic linemen," Reed said. "He says they need to add guys like me in order for them to continue to get better up front."

The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder played in just eight games as a junior, but his athleticism and footwork flashed enough to earn an offer from the Rebels.

"I trust what they're telling me," Reed said. "The vibe I get from Coach Clements about getting in their system and utilizing my hands and feet sounds like something that could help develop me."

The COVID-19 shutdown is also not lost on Reed and he plans on seeing things through this spring before even thinking about making a decision.

"I want to meet the staff and get those in-person vibes," Reed said. "I want to be able to see the campus, facilities, and meet the players to get a feel for it."

Reed does say he plans on taking some trips soon, pointing out that he wants to be able to at least try and attend some spring games.

"I will definitely try to attend Ole Miss' spring game in April," Reed said.

With all that said, Reed admitted that it's always going to come down to feel when he ultimately decides on the next 3-4 years.

"Relationships are the most important thing to me," Reed said. "Our scheme at North Side changes almost every year so the offense of wherever I'm looking at doesn't really matter. ...I will work with whatever they give me and do it to the best of my abilities."