Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
A source has reported that the NCAA has held interviews with Mississippi State Bulldog freshman defensive end Chris Jones over his recruitment in high school by Hugh Freeze and the Ole Miss Rebels.
Jones was a five-star defensive end prospect from Houston, Mississippi. He was one of the top overall prospects in the entire country and held offers from top programs like Alabama, Auburn and Florida, but his recruitment ultimately came down to a battle between the Bulldogs and the Rebels, with the Bulldogs coming out victorious.
It was reported that during his recruitment, the two schools were the only campuses to receive visits from Jones. According to 247Sports, Jones took an official visit to Oxford on January 25, then a pair of unofficial visits in early February before signing day.
Jones’ recruitment was a bit of a statewide controversy, as hardcore fans from both teams barraged the prospect with all sorts of hate and threatening letters, trying to sway him one way or another.
It looks like nothing is going to happen to Jones or Ole Miss for the time being. The NCAA will most likely look further into the investigation, but the chances of action being taken by the time the season start are slim.
This is the first such report surrounding Ole Miss and their recruiting after their dominance of the recruiting trail for the class of 2013, which saw the Rebels land a top-10 class nationally and the number one overall prospect in Robert Nkemdiche, as well as a host of other five-star players.
Erik Sargent is a college football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Erik_Sargent, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
