Ole Miss inks top class in Mississippi

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Feb. 5, 2004
OXFORD It's amazing how much easier recruiting becomes after a 10-win season.
Cutcliffe signed 21 prospects to letters of intent on national signing day, picking up most of Mississippi's top high school athletes and two highly touted junior college players. Itawamba Community College defensive tackle Alton Pettway, a 6-foot-2, 272-pounder, is expected to compete for immediate playing time, as is the state's top juco prospect, Larry Kendrick.
At 6-foot and 205 pounds, Kendrick played both defensive back and wide receiver for Pearl River Community College, where he transferred after signing with Florida in 2001. Kendrick led the nation's junior college athletes with nine interceptions in 2003. Kendrick also scored 11 touchdowns on offense.
While Kendrick will primarily help shore up the Rebels' pass defense one of the nation's worst in 2003 Cutcliffe said he expects Kendrick will also contribute on offense, helping to fill the void left by departed wideout Chris Collins.
The Rebels' other prize catch, linebacker Garry Pack, could also quickly see playing time. Pack, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound Oak Grove High School product, runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and was the country's seventh-ranked linebacker, according to recruiting Web site Rivals.com.
Pack was one of 13 defensive players among Ole Miss' signing class. The glaring holes left by the graduations of linebacker Justin Wade, defensive back Von Hutchins, and defensive linemen Charlie Anderson and Jesse Mitchell appear to have been addressed.
One of the speediest signees is Lavarus Giles, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound halfback from Ray Brooks High School in Benoit. Giles, who runs a 4.4-second 40 and rushed for 27 touchdowns as a senior, terrified Ole Miss coaches by going back on his verbal commitment to the Rebels and pledging himself to Alabama on Monday. Later that same day, he re-affirmed his commitment to Ole Miss.
Cutcliffe said that if Giles the only running back among the Rebels' recruits had not signed with Ole Miss, he would not have been replaced by another tailback.
The Rebels' recruiting class was rated No. 30 nationally by Rivals.com.