Ole Miss Eyes Second Win Over Georgia on the Recruiting Trail

Ole Miss already clipped Georgia once in a Playoff semifinal. Now the Rebels are trying to do it again—just in a very different arena.

This time, it’s a recruiting fight over Shadow Creek (Tex.) wideout Aden Starling, a December Georgia commit who still has plenty of schools buzzing his phone, Ole Miss included.

Pete Golding, new receivers coach L’Damian Washington, and defensive line coach Randall Joyner are all in on this one. They’re pushing, they’re calling, they’re doing the whole full‑court press. But flipping Starling won’t be simple. The kid genuinely loves Georgia and Kirby Smart, and he’s not shy about saying it.

“It starts with the culture and the energy of the school,” Starling said to Rivals. “The stuff that Coach Smart is always preaching on about — hard work and having to want it — and being physical … that’s just me as a person, so it felt like a perfect match. I like the WR development and winning culture at Georgia.

“What excites me the most is being able to be at a program where I feel at home. From the first visit I took to Georgia, it just always felt like that was where I’m supposed to be … Being surrounded by people who want it as bad as me.

“I feel like I fit perfectly in their team culture. Being hungry no matter what, being a fighter and just a dog … The atmosphere there was through the roof, the fans were great and the hospitality from the staff was amazing.”

Still, Ole Miss has its shot. Starling locked in an official visit for June 5, when Washington and Joyner will get him on campus and try to make things interesting. Analyst Patrick Carter will be involved too, giving the Rebels a pretty loaded group working this recruitment.

🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/9lvrvkPsHM

— Aden “NuNu” Starling (@StarlingAden) February 13, 2026

They’re not alone, though. Baylor, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas are all hanging around, but the only two official visits on Starling’s calendar right now are Ole Miss and Georgia. That tells you who’s really in this thing.

“They have all been showing a lot of love and attention, and I could see myself in their programs,” Starling said.

Starling’s coming off a solid junior year—31 catches, 405 yards, seven touchdowns in 11 games for an 8–4 Shadow Creek squad. And he’s confident in what he brings to the table.

As he told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman, “I’m a winner and I love to compete and play with and against the best, so I felt like I needed to be at a place where I could really do that.”

Georgia WR Aden Starling having a solid day pic.twitter.com/dVmEvyjX1D

— Benjamin Wolk (@benjaminwolk) January 9, 2026

Ole Miss already proved it can beat Georgia on the field. Now we’ll see if the Rebels can make it a two‑for‑two kind of year.