What Lane Kiffin said about transfer Deion Smith's status as Ole Miss football practice begins
OXFORD ― Ole Miss football opened preseason practice on Wednesday. Deion Smith, among the Rebels' most exciting offseason additions, was not present.
Asked whether he anticipated Smith joining Ole Miss this season, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin was noncommittal.
"Maybe," he said.
The 247Sports Composite ranked Smith, a wide receiver, as the top junior college prospect in the country for the 2024 cycle. He does not appear on the Ole Miss preseason roster. At SEC Media Days in mid-July, Kiffin said he didn't know whether Smith would be in Oxford for preseason activities.
Smith has shown flashes at the SEC level, catching 11 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns at LSU as a true freshman in 2021. He then moved to Holmes Community College.
In eight games at Holmes last season, he racked up 1,063 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
Wednesday offered some positive news at receiver for the Rebels, too.
Juice Wells, a former All-SEC wideout at South Carolina, appeared to be a full participant in drills after an injury held him out for spring practice. He played in just three games for the Gamecocks last season while managing an injury.
"I think Juice has rehabbed really well," Kiffin said. "He seems to be highly competitive and really (wants) to get better. So I'm very pleased with Juice."
Wells' athleticism popped during the portion of practice open to the media.
It's clear that Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart has been impressed by Wells, too. The 6-foot, 205-pound senior caught 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns in an explosive 2022 campaign at South Carolina.
"Yeah, he looks pretty good, doesn't he?" Dart said.
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David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin: Ole Miss football coach on status of transfer Deion Smith
