Trestan Ebner jumped to a share of the lead among East Texas juniors in scholarship opportunities and simultaneously picked up his second overall college football invitation from a Southeastern Conference school Thursday.

Mississippi joined the chase, the Henderson receiver announced through his personal Twitter account. The program follows in-conference rival Arkansas and 10 other schools interested at this point in time.

Hooks athlete Montrell Estell and John Tyler quarterback Bryson Smith, like Ebner, own 12 offers apiece.

Ebner (5-11, 180) -- who earned an offer from Houston earlier Thursday -- helped Henderson to a 7-3 finish in 2015. The Lions missed the playoffs despite tying for fourth place in District 9-4A Division I, but they ended the regular season with a 30-10 win over the league’s first-place finisher, Kilgore.

Ole Miss finished the past season ranked 10th in the final Associated Press poll under fourth-year head coach Hugh Freeze with a 10-3 record. The Rebels climbed as high as No. 3 in the same poll following an early season win against then-No. 2 Alabama.

Other notable Mississippi victims last year included then-No. 15 Texas A&M, then-No. 15 LSU and then-No. 21 Mississippi State during the conference schedule. Freeze and company earned a Sugar Bowl appearance following a third place finish in the SEC and decisively beat then-No. 16 Oklahoma State.

Arkansas, Florida and Memphis handed the Rebels their three losses. Each was a moderate upset.

Ole Miss ranked 10th in total passing offense among FBS schools last season. Quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Receiver Laquan Treadwell recorded 1,153 yards and 11 scores through the 13-game campaign.

Mississippi owns shared claims to the 1959, 1960 and 1962 national championships. The obscure Massey Ratings awarded the program a national title in 1955, which is unclaimed by the school.

The Rebels have won the SEC six times through their history, most recently in 1963, and have produced 14 consensus All-Americans.

Ebner, like all high school football players currently in their junior year, will become eligible to sign with any school that offers him in February.

2017 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

  • Judah Bell, Tyler Bishop Gorman, WR, 6-3, 180 — offers from Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Houston, Kansas, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, SMU, ULL, UTSA (10)
  • Noah Bush, Athens, LB, 6-2, 225 — offer from Army (1)
  • Lagaryonn Carson, Liberty-Eylau, DE, 6-4, 261 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, North Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M (9)
  • Trestan Ebner, Henderson, WR, 5-11, 180 — offers from Arkansas, Houston, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, North Texas, Ole Miss, SMU, Syracuse, UTSA, TCU, Tulsa (12)
  • Montrell Estell, Hooks, WR/DB, 6-2, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Notre Dame, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane (12)
  • Octavius Evans, Center, WR, 6-2, 186 — offers from Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas State, ULL (6)
  • Jordan Johnson, Hooks, ATH, 6-0, 195 — committed to Air Force (1)
  • Kayce Medlock, Arp, ATH, 5-9, 186 — offers from Army, Colorado, SMU, Tulane, ULL (5)
  • Damion Miller, John Tyler, WR, 6-1, 189 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Baylor, Houston, Kansas, North Texas, Oklahoma State; Ole Miss; SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (10)
  • LaMarcus Morton, Gilmer, WR, 6-2, 175 — offer from Arkansas State, Indiana, Texas Tech, Tulsa, ULL, ULM (6)
  • Javontavius Mosley, John Tyler, CB, 6-1, 170 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston, North Texas, SMU, Texas State, ULL, ULM, UTSA (8)
  • Dhailon Phillips, Lufkin, WR, 6-3, 195 — offer from Texas State (1)
  • Kordell Rodgers, Lufkin, QB/ATH, 5-10, 165 — offer from Texas State (1)
  • Bryson Smith, John Tyler, QB/ATH, 6-0, 170 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Houston, New Mexico, North Texas, Purdue, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL, ULM, UTSA (12)
  • Major Tennison, Bullard, TE, 6-6, 248 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas Tech (11)
  • Josh Thompson, Nacogdoches, CB, 6-0, 180 — offered by Louisiana Tech, Ohio, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULM, UTSA (7)
  • Traveion Webster, Longview, S, 6-0, 197 — offered by ULM (1)

 

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