Mason Moore and Juelz Batiste take the field Friday night, with Miguel Whitley following Saturday as three Ole Miss pledges begin their final high school seasons in Louisiana.
Louisiana high school football returns Friday night, and Ole Miss will have plenty of reasons to pay attention.
Two members of the Rebels’ 2027 recruiting class — Central defensive back Mason Moore and Edna Karr edge defender Juelz Batiste — open their senior seasons tonight. St. Augustine wide receiver Miguel Whitley follows Saturday.
For Pete Golding and his staff, opening weekend provides the first meaningful senior-season film on three Louisiana prospects Ole Miss hopes to sign in December.
Mason Moore — DB, Central
Tonight: Central vs. Acadiana — 7 p.m.
Moore begins his senior season with one of the more interesting recruiting storylines among Ole Miss’ Louisiana commitments.
The Baton Rouge-area defensive back committed to the Rebels May 1. LSU later extended an offer, putting the hometown Tigers into the recruitment of a prospect already pledged to Ole Miss.
For now, Moore enters the fall as a Rebel commitment.
Friday provides another opportunity to see the traits that attracted Ole Miss in the first place.
What to watch: Moore’s coverage ability, open-field tackling and versatility in Central’s secondary. His development during his senior season will be especially important as Ole Miss projects where he fits in its future defensive backfield.
Juelz Batiste — EDGE, Edna Karr
Tonight: Edna Karr vs. Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy — 7 p.m.
Batiste gets his senior season underway with one of Louisiana’s premier programs.
At approximately 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Batiste gives Ole Miss length and developmental upside coming off the edge. He committed to the Rebels May 31.
Now comes an important senior season.
Batiste will play for an Edna Karr program accustomed to competing for championships, giving Ole Miss an opportunity to evaluate him against quality competition throughout the fall.
What to watch: His first step, ability to turn speed into pressure and how consistently he sets the edge against the run. Continued physical development could make Batiste one of the more intriguing defensive pieces in Ole Miss’ class.
Up Saturday: Miguel Whitley — WR, St. Augustine
Saturday: St. Augustine vs. McDonogh 35
Whitley gives Ole Miss a different type of Louisiana weapon.
The St. Augustine receiver committed to the Rebels May 31 after establishing himself as one of the state’s productive offensive prospects.
Whitley caught 46 passes for 869 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior.
Saturday begins his opportunity to build on those numbers.
What to watch: Explosive plays. Whitley has already demonstrated that he can find the end zone. His senior season provides an opportunity to show continued development as a route runner while proving he can consistently create separation against quality defensive backs.
Louisiana Pipeline Worth Watching
The significance goes beyond one opening weekend.
Moore, Batiste and Whitley give Ole Miss commitments from three established Louisiana programs and represent the Rebels’ continued push into one of the SEC footprint’s most productive recruiting territories.
Running backs coach Frank Wilson’s deep Louisiana connections give Golding’s staff another valuable asset as Ole Miss attempts to strengthen that pipeline.
There will also be recruiting pressure between now and December. Louisiana’s top prospects rarely stop hearing from other programs after committing.
That makes their senior seasons important on two fronts.
Ole Miss wants to see continued development on Friday nights — and make sure all three eventually make it to Oxford.
For Moore and Batiste, that final high school journey begins tonight.
Whitley gets his turn Saturday.
