4-star safety Laurence ‘Hootie’ Jones to Ole Miss Rebels gaining momentum
When Laurence ‘Hootie’ Jones (Monroe, La. Neville) committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 2 it was believed to be a two-team race between them and the in-state LSU Tigers, but after Jones decommitted from Alabama on Dec. 18 it isn’t LSU where he may end up but rather another SEC west school.
The Ole Miss Rebels have been lurking behind the other two heavyweights in the SEC west all along and after Hugh Freeze and the Rebels landed the commitment from Jones’ friend and fellow four-star safety, C.J. Hampton the dominoes began to fall in favor of Ole Miss.
Jones has a cousin who attends Ole Miss and has been to see him and the Oxford campus to see if he would feel comfortable calling it home for the next four years. Jones and Ole Miss are playing a bit of catch up and with limited time remaining to make an impression, the Rebels are pulling out all the stops, including making a favorable impression on Jones’ mother.
I made my 247Sports crystal ball pick for Jones after Hampton remained committed at Ole Miss over Alabama and have him heading to Oxford. For what it’s worth the last eight predictions for Jones are for Ole Miss.
LSU simply is not an option for Jones because they just don’t have the room for him anymore as they have their sights set on the No. 2 safety in the class Jamal Adams and already have commitments from two other safeties, including four-star Edward Paris.
Jones has not scheduled a date for his next commitment after rushing into a decision earlier this month and that should bode well for Ole Miss who were among the best closers on the recruiting trail last winter.