Chris Beard and the Rebels may not have had the best regular season, but they’re still in the running for some top-notch recruits, including 5-star shooting guard Ryan Hampton. This week marks a crucial time for Hampton as he embarks on a series of recruiting visits, and you can bet plenty of programs are keeping a close eye on this 6-foot-6 junior from DME Academy. Currently ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2027 class, there’s even talk that he might reclassify to 2026.
Originally, Chris Beard and the Rebels were supposed to meet with him this past Tuesday, but Hampton decided to push that visit to a later date. Instead, he checked out NC State on Monday and his father’s alma mater, SMU, on Wednesday. From what we’ve heard, both schools are making strong impressions on the Rockwall, TX native. Nebraska is also slated to get their chance with Hampton this coming Sunday, March 8th.
This recruitment has deep family ties—Ryan is actually the younger brother of former NBA first-round pick RJ Hampton. RJ had quite a career in the NBA over four seasons with teams like the Nuggets, Magic, Pistons, and Heat before taking his talents overseas to play in China.
Now, landing Ryan would be quite a challenge for Ole Miss. However, given their need for immediate impact players after their portal efforts didn’t go as planned, investing in elite young talent like Hampton could be the way to go. If he does decide to reclassify, he’d be joining several other members from the 2027 class who have made similar moves.
In short: keep an eye on Ryan Hampton—he would definitely be an ultimate pickup for Beard’s bunch!