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Running back Ulysses Bentley IV says he's transferring from SMU Mustangs to Ole Miss Rebels

Ulysses Bentley IV, who led the American Athletic Conference in rushing in 2020 and started 14 games at SMU during the past two seasons, announced on Wednesday he is transferring to Ole Miss after entering the portal.

Bentley joins running back Zach Evans, who transferred to Ole Miss from TCU in January. Evans was an ESPN five-star recruit in the 2020 class.

On Monday, first-year Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee told ESPN that he met with Bentley on Friday and wished the running back well. SMU opened spring practice last week.

Bentley led the AAC with 913 rushing yards and set an SMU freshman record with 11 rushing touchdowns in 2020. The performance earned him AAC Co-Rookie of the Year and first-team All-ACC honors.

He started eight games last season and finished second on the team with 610 rushing yards and four touchdowns, earning second-team All-AAC honors. Bentley also had 21 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown in 2021.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.