Nutt Inks First Signees With JUCO Trio

OXFORD, Miss. - Houston Nutt's first football signing class at Ole Miss got off to a quick start Wednesday with the announcement that three junior college players - center Brandon Green, tight end Gerald Harris and defensive end Emmanuel Stephens - will be joining the Rebels in January. All three will have two years of eligibility remaining. "We're excited about these three quality young men joining our team, and we welcome them to the Ole Miss Rebel family," Nutt said. "All three represent immediate needs for our team. It will also be a plus having them enroll in January and then be able to participate in spring practice." The Rebels will begin spring workouts on March 17, with the annual Red-Blue spring game set for April 12. Green, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound offensive lineman from Southaven, Miss., started every game the last two seasons for Coach Randy Pippin at Northwest Community College, earning first-team Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges All-State honors in 2007. He was also a member of the All-Region XXIII team and participated in the Mississippi Junior College All-Star game. An honorable mention Academic All-American selection by JC Grid-Wire, Green helped lead the Rangers to a 6-4 record in 2007 and to the MACJC playoffs. Green was a three-year starter at Southaven High School where he was coached by Ed Rich. He earned first-team All-State honors his senior season and was a second-team All-State pick during his junior campaign. Harris, a 6-5, 245-pound tight end from Terrell, Texas, played the last two seasons at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, where he was a 2007 first-team Academic All-America selection by JC Grid-Wire. Used primarily as a blocking tight end, he caught five passes for 36 yards and one TD, as he earned honorable mention All-Southwest Conference honors. Coached at Navarro by head coach Ray Woodard and offensive coordinator Nick Bobeck, Harris helped lead the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record in 2007 and a fourth-place finish in the national junior college poll. Harris earned two letters in baseball and football at Terrell High School where he was coached in football by Todd York. He played offensive tackle and defensive end during his season senior and earned honorable mention All-District honors. Stephens, a 6-2, 220-pound defensive end from Houston, Texas, was a 2007 first-team All-America selection by National Junior College Athletic Association while playing for Coach Brad Franchione at Blinn Community College in Brenham, Texas. He also earned second-team All-America honors from the JC Grid-Wire and was a first-team All-Southwest Conference pick. He finished the 2007 season with 31 tackles, nine QB sacks, seven TFLs and three fumble recoveries, while also being credited with 21 QB sacks in his two seasons at Blinn. Stephens helped lead Blinn to a 7-3 record and a 18th-place finish in the national junior college poll. A three-year starter at Waltrip High School in Houston, Stephens earned All-District honors his senior season after finishing with 32 tackles and 14 QB sacks while playing for Coach Anthony Zuccarini. He also earned two letters in soccer and track.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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