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3 players Ole Miss football must target in college transfer portal’s spring window

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Shane Shoemaker | Last updated 4/18/24

One of the most active and successful teams in the transfer portal has been Ole Miss football under head coach Lane Kiffin. Even if Kiffin may turn his nose up at a lot of the new ways of college football, like NIL and the portal, he is at least using them to his advantage nicely. Now that the spring window to the portal is open, look for Kiffin and the Rebels to once again be active in bolstering their roster.

For the last three seasons, Ole Miss has finished in the top two in portal rankings, with their winter pull ranking at the top. They added 16 new commits, seven of which were four stars and one a five star, that being former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolen.

Kiffin’s portal efforts have seemed to work thus far. In his four seasons in Oxford, Kiffin is 34-15 and has double-digit wins in two out of the last three. That’s something that hadn’t been done in Oxford since 1959-1960 under then-head coach John Vaught. Also, last season was Ole Miss football’s best record to date, finishing 11-2.

That can only mean that the expectations will be higher than they’ve probably ever been for Kiffin and his Rebels football team. But this is still the SEC we’re talking about, where the competition is at its best, especially with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas in 2024. As good as the Rebels look to be, there are still some positions that could use attention.

With that said, let’s look at the players that Ole Miss football should target in the spring window of the transfer portal.

Peny Boone, Running Back, Toledo/Louisville

Louisville’s Peny Boone ran the ball during spring practice Friday afternoon. Mar. 29, 2024 © Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Rebels football team took a huge hit to the running back room when Quinshon Judkins decided to transfer to Ohio State during the winter window. Although Kiffin did bring in LSU’s Logan Diggs from the same portal, he’s still recovering from a leg injury. Currently, that just leaves Ulysses Bentley IV with any sort of notable experience.

A Louisville commit for no longer than a cup of coffee, Peny Boone is one running back that Ole Miss football is apparently already targeting, according to Pete Nakos at On3. He has a scheduled visit with the Rebels sometime next week.

Boone is a former 2023 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, rushing for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also accruing 219 receiving yards and another touchdown while at Toledo. Kiffin definitely could do some work with a back that can work in and out of the backfield like that.

Now all the Rebels have to do is fend off Jedd Fisch and Washington, who Boone will be visiting this weekend.

Henry Parrish Jr., Running Back, Miami

Usually in the spring version of the transfer portal, there are slim pickings at every position. Surprisingly, running back is one that has some fairly notable options. If Boone decides to choose the Huskies over the Rebels, then reuniting Parrish with the Ole Miss football team seems highly likely.

Parrish was originally at Ole Miss from 2020-2021, where he racked up 816 yards and five touchdowns on 161 carries. While at Miami the last two seasons, Parrish became the Hurricanes’ leading rusher, with 1,241 yards rushing, 152 receiving, and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage, per Sports-Reference. Most already have Parrish pegged to head back to Oxford.

Jay Toia, Nose Tackle, UCLA

Ole Miss football took a bit of a hit when they lost defensive lineman Joshua Harris to the spring transfer portal. Harris could prove to be a pivotal depth piece should it not be addressed in some regard by looking into the portal.

Ole Miss and defensive coordinator Pete Golding should target one of the latest editions to the portal, UCLA’s Jay Toia. The nose tackle was one of the best defensive linemen for the Bruins last season, starting in every game, according to Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch. He accounted for 28 total tackles, including four for a loss and one sack.

With Golding needing some size on his line, Toia, at 6-foot-3, 325 pounds, could be a good fit and definitely give the team more than just a depth piece, but some veteran leadership.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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