Nac’s Jaylon Lane Commits to Ole Miss + Will Brandon Jones Follow?

LONGVIEW -- Jaylon Lane committed to Mississippi on Friday but he didn't go home to eat a congratulatory cake and wear crimson and yale blue party hats to celebrate his decision.

Instead, the junior Nacogdoches defensive back bussed it up with his track and field team from Dragon Nation for the Lobo Relays at Longview High School's Lobo Stadium.

That's where we found him -- all 6-2, 185 pounds of him -- about four hours before the event started.

"I feel like track just helps me keep up with my stamina and endurance," he said. "I want to stay active. If you play football for Nacogdoches High School, you have to run track. I just do this for fun, have fun with this and run."

Lane said just two days ago he wants more offers. That's still the case.

On the same hand, he considers himself "100 percent" committed to Ole Miss.

"A lot of guys that are still committed are picking up offers," Lane said. "I just want to let people know about me, make sure no one is still sleeping on me and my name is still out there."

He will attend a Rivals.com's camp and wants to visit in-state college football camps for high school players later this summer to see how he stacks up in the region and against state's best.

The Rebels were an early player in Lane's recruitment, albeit the third and final school that has offered him to date. He received offers from Louisiana Tech and South Alabama in the days leading up to Ole Miss extending its hand after a period of serious interest.

"It was just (linebackers coach Tom) Allen keeping in contact with me every day," Lane said. "Just keeping in contact and keeping that relationship going. He did a whole lot better than the other people that have been recruiting me. He seems really committed to me. I spoke with him and he said they're looking for real big, large, tall corners. I told him that was me. I want to play with the best of the best, and that's the SEC. I want to play with the best competition. That's what made me commit today."

Ole Miss had a successful 2013 season. It embarrassed Texas in Austin and nearly shocked Texas A&M in addition to getting the best of LSU in The Grove on its way to an 8-5 record with a bowl win against Georgia Tech.

It had the No. 46 defense in the nation in terms of total yardage given up, 375.85 yards per game.

"If they feel like my hips, feet and my ball skills are still the same, I think they'll keep me at corner to shut down some of those 6-5, 6-6 receivers," Lane replied when asked if his future college coaches might consider moving him to safety due to his size.

Lane is the Rebels' fourth commitment in the Class of 2015 and will first be eligible to sign with the program on Feb. 4, 2015. He spent the past two football seasons at Central High School in San Angelo, Texas, where he recorded five interceptions, two of those for pick sixes, as well as racking up a 48-yard kickoff return average with a 108-yard touchdown as a junior.

His father was recently transferred back to Nacogdoches. That's where Lane started his football career.

It's never about the finish in the world of recruiting news. It's always about the chase.

Will good friend and fellow Nacogdoches cornerback Brandon Jones, a sophomore, commit to Ole Miss as well? Jones played alongside Lane in the Dragons' defensive backfield as a seventh-grader on the eighth grade team.

The two have been friends since. Both have offers from the Rebels.

The 2016 prospect -- who holds other offers from Baylor, Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas Tech --  was hanging out in the stands of Lobo Stadium as well.

"Jaylon is going there in April to watch their spring ball and he says he'll take me with him to see the school and stuff," Jones said. "I'm pretty excited about that."