Less than a day after Ole Miss knocked off LSU 32-24 in Oxford, the ripple effect showed up on the recruiting trail.
Pete Golding teased it with a shark emoji on social media, and the hint pointed straight to one of the biggest names in Mississippi football: Braylen Bedford. The four-star safety, an elite prospect in the 2028 class, committed to Ole Miss over LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee and others.
It’s a major swing for the Rebels. Bedford is the third commitment in the cycle, and his pledge pushes Ole Miss from No. 10 nationally all the way up to No. 3.
Bedford’s connection to Oxford already runs through Brentwood Academy teammate and 2027 Ole Miss quarterback commit Crews Jenkins. Jenkins was with him at the game Saturday night and said, "Super excited for one of my best friends. I sat with him at the game (Saturday night),"
Bedford had made plans to attend the Ole Miss-LSU game earlier in the week, though interest in that visit had been building for several weeks. Once there, he spent plenty of time with Jenkins and his family, and he also connected with Ole Miss safeties coach Wes Neighbors.
The No. 96 overall prospect in the cycle began his prep career at Vardaman High School before transferring this past summer. He grew up in Calhoun County, about an hour south of Oxford and near the hometown of current Ole Miss player Will Echoles. At Brentwood Academy, Bedford has shifted more toward defense, but he still brings the same versatility that made him such a dangerous player back in Mississippi.
There aren’t any stats available yet for Brentwood Academy’s 3-2 start this season, but Bedford keeps showing up on both sides of the ball.
His sophomore season at Vardaman gave a clear picture of what he can do. In nine games, he rushed 89 times for 689 yards and eight touchdowns, added two catches for 43 yards and a score, and completed 19 of 41 passes for 335 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. On defense, he finished with 69 tackles, one interception, one pass breakup and three forced fumbles.
As a freshman in 2024, he was even more all over the field. Bedford went over 1,200 all-purpose yards, catching 23 passes for 523 yards and six touchdowns while rushing 31 times for 283 yards and five scores.
He also returned two punts for touchdowns. Defensively, he posted 67 tackles, one tackle for loss, a 90-yard interception return touchdown, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Tom Loy of 247Sports called it a huge add for Ole Miss, saying: "This is a tremendous pickup for Ole Miss. Bedford is one of the most talented athletes in all of high school football.
247Sports slots him as the No. 98 overall player in the nation, No. 9 safety nationally, and No. 6 prospect in his home state. A two-way star, Bedford lights up the stat-sheet each week as a pass-catcher for his loaded Brentwood Academy team.
On defense, is a hard-hitting safety with tremendous vision. He sees the field extremely well and possesses great range and speed on the backend.
Above all else, his mental makeup is what makes him unique. He is a leader on defense because of his knowledge of the game, his ability to make others around him better, and the fact that he's a freak athlete.
Bedford is among the most gifted prospects in the class of 2028, and that talent is heading to Oxford."
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