re: Class of 2015 Recruiting MEGATHREAD - Twilight Edition

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The list of recruits visiting Ole Miss this weekend is impressive.

How impressive? Consider this:

The nation’s top defensive end will be on hand. As will the No. 5 offensive tackle.

The top inside linebacker in the country will be there. As will the No. 4 outside linebacker.

And let’s not forget about the country’s fifth-best wideout.

Sprinkle in a handful of in-state talents — like fast-rising offensive tackles Matt Womack and Martinas Rankin — and you’ve still only scratched the surface of all the talent who will be lining the sidelines Saturday in Oxford.

It begs the question: What kind of recruiting impact could Ole Miss’ showdown with No. 3 Alabama have?

Rebels coach Hugh Freeze was asked earlier this week.

“I never make too much of one game,” he said. “I think relationships win out in the end.”

Then came a brief pause. Followed by the big “however.”

“However, if I had to pick a game that would matter nationally to us with kids that we are trying to recruit, there’s no question a win Saturday would go a long way in helping with that recruitment,” he said.

“A long way” is an understatement.

But don’t fault Freeze. Finding the words to accurately describe the recruiting opportunity that faces Ole Miss this Saturday isn’t easy.

Huge? Maybe.

Enormous? Better.

Either way, there’s a lot at stake for Ole Miss.

It’s the Rebels’ first and last chance to impress high-profile out-of-state prospects like CeCe Jefferson, Damarkus Lodge, Roquan Smith, Ryan Newsome and more.

A — dare I say it — win would cement Ole Miss as one of the hottest programs in the country with bucket loads of blue-chippers on hand to witness it.

Not to mention, those prospects will soak in what’s sure to be a memorable atmosphere in Oxford.

ESPN’s College GameDay is visiting The Grove for the first time. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium will be bursting at the seams.

Pair all that with a win — watch out.

The recruiting potential waiting to be claimed in Oxford on Saturday cannot be overstated.

But it’s a double-edged sword.

Many prospects are expecting a Rebels’ win.

And let’s float back down to Earth for a second. A win won’t come easy. Alabama is still Alabama last time I checked.

“They’re going to get it done. I don’t expect anything less,” Laurel’s four-star junior quarterback Keon Howard said.

Added Smith, the nation’s No. 4 linebacker prospect: “That defense is going to be the talk of the nation after they get the win.”

Recruits’ expectations certainly aren’t tempered. And the Rebels are certainly hoping not to let them down.

But even hanging tough with the Crimson Tide could benefit recruiting.

“As long as they show they can hang around with the big boys, I’m fine with whatever happens,” said Ole Miss four-star commit Cam Ordway.

Ordway has a point.

A close loss isn’t a bad second option. It creates a sales pitch: “We’re a player like you away from beating Alabama.”

Is it true? Who knows.

Will recruits buy it? You bet.

The point: This game is one of the rare ones that will have an impact on who signs in February.

There’s much more on the line than a shot at the SEC West crown (as if this game wasn’t already big enough).

A win could skyrocket Ole Miss’ recruiting momentum. A close loss still could help. A blowout could be shattering.

The keyword? “Could.”

Don’t be mistaken: A win against Alabama doesn’t guarantee that these prized visitors will sign with Ole Miss. Conversely, a loss doesn’t mean recruits bolt from Oxford and never look back.

But a win helps. And likely much more than any other win this season — or perhaps in the past decade.

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Blake Barnett

School: Santiago High School

Size: 6'4.5", 200 pounds

Recruitment Status: Committed to Alabama over Oregon and Notre Dame



Success

Blake Barnett took over starting duties at Santiago last season and quickly garnered scholarship offers from the country's premier programs. He pledged to Notre Dame in November but backed off that pact this spring and committed to Alabama.

He gives Nick Saban and Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin an intriguing athlete who is capable of redefining an Alabama offense filled with stars. Barnett, who rushed for 695 yard and 13 touchdowns in 2013, is a powerful runner (check out his nasty stiff-arm in the video above).

He's gained 300 yards and three scores on the ground through five games this season, per MaxPreps. Barnett has thrown for 1,351 yards and eight touchdowns during that span.

His high school supporting cast isn't loaded with Division-I bound prospects like others on this list but he's managed to put the team in postseason contention again.



Scouting Report

Barnett displays the guts and moxie collegiate coaches covet. His willingness to pick up tough yards on the ground and dissect secondaries with his arm is appealing to the staff set to work with him in Tuscaloosa.

"Coach Kiffin and Coach Saban were very fond about the idea of their quarterback being able to run the ball several times in each game," he told me in July. "It's something they were looking for, and it made sense as a fit for me."

Barnett is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential and he should shine as the eventual leader of a feared Alabama attack.

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Is that what it would take to finally get a mississippi recruit?

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