Yes, On3’s Pete Nakos was right. The analyst had predicted that in the race to land the Colorado Buffaloes transfer defensive lineman, Jehiem Oatis, Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels were the only frontrunners. A few days later, Golding made it official, locking in the commitment.

“Colorado transfer defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis has committed to Ole Miss,” Nakos reported on January 5.

This is the second time that Oatis has hit the transfer portal and found a new home. He played for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2022 to 2024 and entered the transfer portal after spending three seasons under the guidance of Nick Saban. 

“I left Alabama because I came in with coach Saban,” Golding’s latest recruit told On3 in June about why he moved out of Tuscaloosa. “I took it to heart. That was one of my biggest dreams: To play in college football for coach Saban and win a ring. When I heard he was leaving — nobody saw it coming.”

He could not even wait for the season to end and jumped out mid-way. But why Colorado? Deion and his NFL-experienced coaching staff were enough to woo Oatis. Primarily, he could not fight the urge to play under Colorado’s pass rush coordinator, Warren Sapp. 

Golding may have walked into a ready-made product, but Oatis earned every stripe the hard way. Thrown into the fire as a freshman at Alabama, he played in 12 games, started 10, and capped the season with All-SEC Freshman honors. By year two, Oatis leveled up again. 

He landed on the Outland Trophy watchlist. Golding’s commitment to the three-year Alabama chapter got wrapped up with 57 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. In his single season in Boulder, Oatis came up with nine total tackles. 

All this time, it turns out that Golding might have kept an eye on him. The current Ole Miss head coach has been familiar with Oatis for a long time. Golding recruited him out of high school when the Rebels quickly became a program to watch in his prep recruitment. 

While Alabama ultimately won the battle, the groundwork was already laid. Golding and defensive line coach Randall Joyner know Oatis’ game inside and out. However, a reality check looms for the Rebels. The Magnolia State native is joining Golding’s program after he saw a decline in his production.

Back in Boulder, Oatis has seen the field in all five games, but the production hasn’t matched the hype. He’s logged just four solo tackles, spread across only three games. 

Besides Oatis, Golding also managed to land several other key recruits.

Pete Golding has picked up momentum in the transfer portal

The first transfer portal win for Golding and company came on the night of January 3, with the addition of former Auburn Tigers cornerback Jay Crawford. As per 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings, he is the No.2 cornerback.

Golding added more bite to his pass rush on January 4, as former Nevada Wolf Pack defensive end Jonathan Maldonado committed to the Rebels. The other two are former Baylor Bears linebacker Keaton Thomas and former Florida Gators defensive back Sharif Denson.

According to the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings, Thomas entered as a three-star prospect with an 88.89 rating, slotted at No. 245 nationally and No. 16 among linebackers. Meanwhile, Denson started for Florida in 2025 as a junior, finishing the season with 53 tackles.

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All these transfer portal wins must be an enormous boost for Golding, who is already juggling too many things on his plate. There is enough uncertainty about whether the Ole Miss coaches who have signed with the LSU Tigers will be cleared to coach for the Fiesta Bowl. 

“Communication has been constant the entire time,” Golding dropped clarity. “They have every opportunity to be able to make that decision. I don’t dictate whether they do that or not, because they’re not employed by me.”

With Ole Miss facing some uncertainty on the coaching roster, Pete Golding has multiple portal targets trending toward commitments. The list includes Florida defensive lineman Michai Boireau, Florida State Seminoles safety Edwin Joseph, among others.

It’s time for Golding to wave the wand again.