Ole Miss made Colton Johnson a priority from the moment it entered his recruitment, and that consistency paid off.
The Rebels landed a commitment from the tight end out of Cookeville (Tenn.) Upperman, beating out Alabama, Florida State, North Carolina and Purdue for one of the Southeast’s most coveted pass catchers.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound prospect finished his recruitment with over 60 offers. Ole Miss entered the picture in January, and once the Rebels did, they never let up.
“They’ve been very consistent,” Johnson told Rivals. “They were very hard on me as soon as they started recruiting me, and it’s kind of been that way throughout.
“Throughout the process, I visited Ole Miss twice. First was for a spring practice and later for his official visit. Both trips showed me a lot about what Ole Miss is building.
“The visits were awesome. I learned a lot about the coaches, the atmosphere, and the people, which helped me decide on Ole Miss.”
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After wrapping up six official visits, Johnson knew where he wanted to play.
“Probably for a few weeks now, I have known it was Ole Miss. Once I finished up on my official visit, I’ve been thinking about it, and they’ve kind of been my frontrunner. The other schools were great, but I just kept thinking about Ole Miss.”
What pushed the Rebels to the top?
“The people, for sure,” he said. “It feels so much like home. Then the development they’ve had at tight end and the winning they have had were factors too. I think they’re going to be very successful, and that’s a big part of my recruitment.”
Head coach Pete Golding also made a lasting impression throughout the process.
“Every talk we’ve had, he’s always told me exactly how I fit in and why he thinks I’m a great recruit for their program. He shared his vision for the program, and he let me know he wants to be in Oxford. His wife is from there, and he wants to build something there. I think it’s a great place to be, and the coaching staff is really together.”
While Ole Miss won out, Johnson said Alabama and Florida State were the Rebels’ biggest competition down the stretch after also taking official visits to Purdue, North Carolina and Indiana.
“The feeling at Ole Miss was different for me,” Johnson said.
