Ole Miss is struggling to find consistency at 6-2 overall, and their latest roster decision has only added to the intrigue surrounding the program. The Rebels have reportedly shown former five-star recruit Tony Mitchell the door midway through the season, ending his tenure before he could make the impact many expected.
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The Rebels’ decision to remove a former five-star recruit has raised questions, especially with no official explanation emerging yet. Mitchell entered the transfer portal after his 2025 stint with Mississippi State and committed to Pete Golding’s program in January.
“That was something in the spring and the summer; there was a violation of some team rules,” Golding explained the reasoning behind removing a former five-star recruit. “It just got to the point where it was best for both parties to go a different direction.”
Per Ole Miss On SI, Mitchell was removed from the team in late September.
He arrived in Oxford as a safety but switched to linebacker during spring practice. With several familiar faces already at the Manning Center, his move to Ole Miss seemed like a natural fit. Interestingly, Golding was particularly impressed with him during spring camp, publicly heaping praise on the former five-star recruit.
“I think Tony, obviously, we recruited [him] at Alabama out of high school; he’s very athletic,” head coach Golding said during the spring. “Tony kind of grew out of the safety position from a body type standpoint; he’s about 240 pounds right now, really athletic, and linebacker comes a lot more natural to Tony than Tony thinks it does.”
Golding also said Mitchell’s versatility in coverage gives the staff room to use him as a money linebacker and rotate coverages away from him, because they value his coverage ability.
“I’ve been really pleased with his instincts in the box, which is always something that’s the concern of a guy that hasn’t played that position because he had put physicality on tape,” he added.
Golding had played a significant role in securing Mitchell’s commitment to Alabama, though Mitchell later left for Ole Miss.
His stint with Alabama was short-lived, as he spent just one season with the Crimson Tide. Following that, he opted for the junior college route, spending the 2024 campaign at East Mississippi. The move did little to dent his recruiting stock.
Ranked the nation’s No. 2 overall JUCO prospect and top JUCO safety in the 2025 cycle, he was listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State renewed their interest with offers following his impressive campaign.
After returning to the SEC, Mitchell committed to the Bulldogs and played 11 games. During the 2025 campaign, he recorded 28 total tackles, including 19 solo stops and four tackles for loss.
However, his opportunities with the Rebels were limited. Mitchell made the game-day lineup for the Louisville and Charlotte matchups but logged no playing time in either.
With collegiate eligibility remaining beyond the 2026 season, the linebacker could emerge as an intriguing option for programmes looking to strengthen their roster.