Photo by Seph Anderson / HottyToddy.com
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss added talent and experience to its football roster on Wednesday with the signing of junior college offensive lineman Fahn Cooper, athlete Jeremy Liggins and linebacker Christian Russell, as well as UCLA transfer Christian Morris and high school early graduate Kendrick Doss.
“We are extremely excited about the addition of Fahn, Kendrick, Jeremy, Christian and Christian to our program,” said Rebel head coach Hugh Freeze. “This group is a good step in addressing the need areas of our team. They have had the good fortune of learning from some great coaches, and we appreciate the commitment these young men and their families have made to Ole Miss.”
Cooper will join the Rebels from the College of DuPage, where he was the team’s starting left tackle this year. A 6-foot-5, 315-pound tackle from Crystal Lake, Ill., Cooper spent two years at Bowling Green University, including his redshirt-freshman season in 2012 when he was the Falcons’ starting left tackle for all 13 games. He is rated a 4-star OT by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com and is listed as one of the nation’s top 20 junior college prospects by both sites.
Liggins is a local product from Oxford, Miss., who played at Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2013. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound athlete played defensive end and quarterback for Northeast and is rated a 4-star prospect and the No. 20 junior college recruit in the nation by ESPN.com. He originally signed with LSU last year after a decorated prep career at Lafayette High School.
Russell is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound middle linebacker who spent the last two seasons at East Mississippi Community College and helped EMCC to the junior college national championship in 2013. The Fayetteville, N.C., native is rated a 4-star prospect by Scout.com and ESPN.com and looks to help in a need area for the Rebels after the graduation of starting middle linebacker Mike Marry.
Morris was a member of UCLA’s 2013 signing class, but did not enroll in the fall semester. A U.S. Army All-American and 4-star recruit out of Memphis (Tenn.) East High School, Morris was listed as the 10th-best offensive tackle prospect in the country by Rivals.com last year.
Doss graduated early from Florence (Ala.) High School and will enroll at Ole Miss for the spring semester. He is rated the nation’s No. 11 dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com and a top-25 dual-threat QB by 247Sports.com and ESPN.com. Over his junior and senior seasons, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Doss threw for more than 3,200 yards with 29 touchdowns and rushed for more than 2,200 yards with 37 scores on the ground.
Fahn Cooper
OL | 6-5 | 315 | Crystal Lake, Ill. | College of DuPage/Crystal Lake South
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Rated a 4-star offensive tackle prospect by ESPN.com and247Sports.com … Listed as the No. 18 junior college prospect in the country byESPN.com and No. 19 by 247Sports.com … Listed as the No. 5 junior college OT by ESPN.com and No. 7 by 247Sports.com … Spent the 2013 season as the starting left tackle at the College of DuPage, coached by Matt Foster … BOWLING GREEN (2011-12): A two-year member of the Falcons’ football team … Started all 13 games at left tackle during his redshirt freshman year in 2012 … Part of an offensive line that averaged 153.4 rushing yards per game and a unit that allowed just 15 sacks in 13 contests … Redshirted his true freshman year in 2011 … HIGH SCHOOL: A 2011 graduate of Crystal Lake South High School … Helped his team finish 11-1 and advance to the state quarterfinals as a senior … Named to the Northwest Herald andDaily Herald All-Area team … Coached in high school by Chuck Ahsmann.
Jeremy Liggins
ATH | 6-4 | 295 | Oxford, Miss. | Northeast Mississippi CC/Lafayette
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Rated a 4-star prospect, the No. 20 junior college recruit in the nation and the No. 2 JUCO athlete by ESPN.com … Rated the No. 31 overall JUCO recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com and the No. 1 JUCO athlete by247Sports.com … Listed as a 3-star defensive end by Scout.com … Played in three games as a defensive end and four games as a quarterback during his freshman year at Northeast Mississippi Community College … Had 14 tackles and a TFL at DE … Passed for 441 yards, five touchdowns and an interception, while rushing for 124 yards and a TD while playing QB … Coached in junior college by Ricky Smither …HIGH SCHOOL: Originally signed with LSU out of high school … Led Lafayette High School to 32 straight wins and back-to-back 4A state titles as the team’s quarterback … Threw for 1,678 yards and 16 TDs and ran for 953 yards and 18 scores as a senior … Passed for 1,186 and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 1,661 and 20 touchdowns during his junior season … Named the 2010 and 2011 MHSSA All-Division 2-4A Player of the Year … Awarded first team All-State honors by The Clarion-Ledgerand All-Area by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal his junior and senior seasons … Was rated the No. 93 overall prospect in the country by 247Sports.comand No. 118 by ESPN.com … A four-star recruit according to 247Sports.com andESPN.com … Listed as the ninth-best athlete in the nation by 247Sports.com and 12th by ESPN.com … Rated as the No. 16 dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.comand the No. 19 quarterback by Scout.com … Ranked as the No. 3 overall player in Mississippi by 247Spots.com, fourth by ESPN.com and seventh by Rivals.com … A member of The Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen … Selected as a member of theMobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120 … Coached in high school by Anthony Hart.
Christian Russell
LB | 6-1 | 235 | Fayetteville, N.C. | East Mississippi CC/Hargrave Military Academy/Hoke County
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Rated a 4-star prospect by Scout.com and ESPN.com … Ranked No. 21 among all junior college prospects by Scout.com and No. 22 byESPN.com … Rated 3 stars by Rivals.com and 247Sports … Rated the No. 1 JUCO middle linebacker in the country by Scout.com and ESPN.com … NJCAASecond Team All-America selection as a sophomore after helping East Mississippi to a 12-0 record and the NJCAA national championship … Helped the EMCC defense finish second nationally allowing just 9.8 points per game and first nationally with 67 sacks … Posted 80 tackles, including seven TFLs and three sacks … Scored two defensive touchdowns and totaled eight pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery … Had nine tackles in the NJCAA national title game … Named to the NJCAA All-Region 23 team, first team MACJC All-State, andMACJC North Division Defensive Back MVP … Earned second team MACJC All-North Division honors as a freshman after totaling a team-high 77 tackles, six TFLs, three sacks, four fumble recoveries, two pass breakups and a forced fumble … Helped EMCC go 20-2 during his two seasons … Coached in junior college by Buddy Stephens … PREP SCHOOL: Attended Hargrave Military Academy in 2011 … HIGH SCHOOL: Tabbed a 3-star prospect and top-40 linebacker in the nation by Rivals.com and Scout.com … Played his senior season at Hoke County High School (Raeford, N.C.), earning a spot in the North Carolina East-West All-Star Game … Was a three-year starter at Westover High School (Fayetteville, N.C.), where he racked up more than 350 tackles and 2,000 rushing yards … Had 136 tackles on defense and 1,728 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on offense as a junior.
Christian Morris
OL | 6-6 | 290 | Memphis, Tenn. | UCLA/Memphis East
UCLA (2013): A member of the Bruins’ signing class, but did not enroll in the fall semester … HIGH SCHOOL: A U.S. Army All-America selection … Rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com … Listed as the No. 10 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 128 overall recruit by Rivals.com … Pegged as the 20th-best OT in the country by Scout.com … The third-best player in Tennessee according to Rivals.com … A first team Class 5A All-State pick by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association and an All-District 16-AAA selection … Played in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game and the City of Memphis All-Star Game following his senior year … A top-five OL performer at the 2012 Nike football combine “The Opening” … Also played basketball … Coached in high school by Marcus Wimberly.
Kendrick Doss
QB | 6-2 | 215 | Florence, Ala. | Florence
HIGH SCHOOL: Rated a 3-star prospect by all the major recruiting services … Listed as the nation’s No. 11 dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com, No. 22 by 247Sports.com and No. 23 by ESPN.com … Rivals.com rates him as the No. 11 recruit in Alabama … Helped Florence to a 9-4 record and the school’s first ever berth in the Class 6A state quarterfinals as a senior … Threw for 1,539 yards and 13 touchdowns and ran for 1,001 yards and 16 touchdowns … As a junior, he accumulated 1,743 passing yards passing with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions to go with 1,202 rushing yards and 21 TDs on the ground … Was named the 2012 TimesDaily Class 4A-6A Player of the Year … A four-year starter at quarterback for Florence … Coached in high school by Jamey DuBose … High school teammate of Rebel linebacker Ray Ray Smith.
– Joey Jones, Ole Miss Sports Information