It was another successful class for Hugh Freeze and his Ole Miss Rebels. Today, we take a deeper look at how the Rebels came out:
Biggest need heading into signing day: With franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil and three other starters along the offensive line gone, Freeze and Co. had to strike gold here. Freeze had talked about how behind the Rebels were when it came to numbers along the offensive line, but things have turned up recently. Still, losing four starters along a line that was pretty good in 2015 is rough. You don't expect to get immediate playing time from a lot of young offensive linemen, but it's always nice to have bodies to work with, and that's what the Rebels desperately needed.
How it was addressed: You could say that Ole Miss' staff did a pretty good job of getting some guys for the present and future along the offensive line. The star of the group is the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle in Gregory Little, who could come in and immediately take over for Tunsil. He could also find himself in the same rotation as ESPN 300 offensive guard Chandler Tuitt. Ole Miss signed six offensive linemen -- three guards and three tackles. Some of these guys will need some time to develop, but getting more numbers up front was a top priority for Freeze.
Position of strength: Just look at the wealth of talent Ole Miss got at wide receiver. Losing record-setting Laquon Treadwell certainly hurts, but some of that pain will be soothed by the fact that the Rebels signed four ESPN 300 wide receivers and the No. 1 and No. 4 H-back tight ends. A.J. Brown, who Freeze has compared to Treadwell, is the leader of the pack and gave the Rebels a major lift with a signing-day commitment. Oxford native DeKaylin Metcalf has a very high ceiling, while Tre Nixon is a major speedster.
Biggest remaining question mark: The Rebels needed help at linebacker, but left signing day with just two commitments, with three-star Tariqious Tisdale possibly converting to defensive end. Inside linebacker Donta Evans could be a sleeper of sorts, but Ole Miss needed a lot more help than what they got here. The staff really took a hit when No. 4 outside linebacker Mique Juarez chose UCLA over the Rebels on signing day after Ole Miss' staff worked hard for his commitment.