‘He’ll follow his heart in December’: Chad Simmons talks Ole Miss’ pursuit of Caleb Cunningham
No. 6 Ole Miss opens up the much-anticipated 2024 season with Furman Saturday night. The Rebels are a heavy favorite on the field. Off the field, though, on the recruiting trail it’s been an underdog role for Lane Kiffin and Co. But, this weekend the Rebels will embrace the role and host five-star Alabama commit Caleb Cunningham.
On3’s director of recruiting and national analyst Chad Simmons reported early Tuesday morning the blue chip wide receiver prospect will be in Oxford, Miss., for an unofficial visit.
On the latest edition of “The Flagship”, presented by College Corner, Simmons gave his take on the Cunningham recruitment and what it’s going to take for the Rebels to play spoiler.
“There’s not really a lot new there, it’s a marathon not a sprint,” Simmons said. “Yes, he is committed to Alabama. Yes, they are the team to beat. Yes, teams like Ole Miss and others are trying to knock them off the top spot.
“Caleb is going to keep taking visits, keep talking to different schools and coaching staffs and keep those relationships going,” Simmons said. “This will be an interesting race until he puts that pen to paper.”
Chad Simmons thinks this is a great sign if you’re an Ole Miss fan.
“It’s not truly a ‘game game’ on the schedule but he is likely to be back for another game or two in the fall,” Simmons said. “Then of course he will take that OV to Ole Miss as well. We’ll see how it all plays out.”
Alabama is still the top school as he has been committed for a few months. But, the Rebels are still lingering and in the picture.
“He will be at Alabama two times in September, but Ole Miss is Alabama’s biggest competition.”
What was it that the Crimson Tide did to get the five-star’s commitment early?
“I think a big thing for Caleb in my time with him is ‘iron sharpens iron’, the competition,” Simmons said. “That’s one thing that drove him to commit to Alabama. The receiver room, the guys he would go against in the defensive back room every day in practice.”
Furthermore, what are the signs heading into the fall Caleb Cunningham is still open to others?
“He’s a southern gentleman, he’s true to his soul. Who he is and he’s very genuine and transparent,” Simmons said. “He doesn’t hide in interviews, he speaks from his heart and says what he feels. He doesn’t try to say something he thinks fans or his family like. He’s himself which is something I really respect.”
Caleb Cunningham (@calebcunning13) , the uncommitted 5 WR phenom from Choctaw County, combines blazing speed and unmatched versatility, achieving an IGA score of 89.5 matched with a max speed of 20.3 #ReelSpeed #IGAScore https://t.co/IKk5DVUWoB pic.twitter.com/M92BUFf3HZ— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) June 4, 2024
“He committed to Alabama for a reason. He loved that OV in Tuscaloosa and loved that coaching staff,” Simmons said. “The staff did a great job of making him feel at home. Bama is the team to beat and Bama is the team others are chasing. He said it from the beginning he was going to take the visits and keep the relationships open.
“When you’re a talent like Caleb, schools aren’t going to give up unless you start hitting that ignore button on your phone and you don’t show up on their campus for their games,” Simmons said. “If you keep that door cracked and you’re a player like him, schools will fight for you until the end.”
If you’re not already a subscriber to our YouTube channel, join us today.
You will receive every podcast recorded on the Talk of Champions network including exclusive sit down chats on the “Ivey League”, Ben Garrett’s weekly shows and of course my recruiting content. You can find it all here.
Also be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts whether it be on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.
And of course, make sure to stay locked in at Ole Miss Spirit at On3 for all your Ole Miss Rebel athletics needs. We will continue to have full coverage of fall camp as Lane Kiffin and Co., prepare for arguably the biggest season in program history.
The post ‘He’ll follow his heart in December’: Chad Simmons talks Ole Miss’ pursuit of Caleb Cunningham appeared first on On3.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings