Ole Miss picked up a major commitment on Saturday when five-star defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin chose the Rebels over Auburn, Miami, Tennessee and Florida State. Franklin ranks as the No. 6 defensive lineman in the 2024 class and the No. 2 prospect from Mississippi. Auburn was long considered the leader in his recruitment before Ole Miss made a late push.
Franklin is from Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, which is roughly an hour from the Ole Miss campus. His commitment continues the Rebels' strong start with in-state defensive line prospects from the Class of 2024. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound disruptor joins four-star defensive linemen Jeffery Rush and Kamron Beavers in the Ole Miss class to give coach Lane Kiffin commitments from three of the state's top four prospects.
"It's nice to represent your home state," Franklin told Inside the Rebels of the 247Sports network. "It means a lot when you're putting on for your state. It's good knowing my family's down the road. I can go home anytime (to) check on my folks, not miss out on a whole bunch of stuff."
With Franklin's commitment, the Ole Miss class will rise four spots to No. 24 in the 247Sports Team Rankings for the Class of 2024. He is the 20th commitment of the cycle for the Rebels and Kiffin, who is attacking the high school recruiting trail hard with the 2024 class after making Ole Miss one of the sport's top destinations for transfers in the past two recruiting cycles.
Kamarion Franklin's game
Exactly where Franklin will play at the next level remains undetermined. He's athletic enough to wreak havoc off the edge but could also play inside if he added a bit more weight. Here is more on Franklin's game from 247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna:
"Exhibits a good first step off the line of scrimmage with above average foot and body quickness. Plays high off the ball and possesses some slight hip and ankle stiffness but overcompensates with length and ability to close space quickly. Straight line mover with adequate bend and change of direction ability. Wins with quickness and burst to close ability at the point of attack. Flashes good play strength but needs to continue to develop the ability to play through his hands and utilize his length and frame to his advantage. Demonstrates an above average motor and accounts for a lot of his sack production with pure hustle plays."
Franklin racked up 93 tackles and 19 sacks last season for Lake Cormorant. He also plays high school basketball.
