Red&Blueprint Episode 10, presented by A-1 Discount Tree & Lawn Service, is back with another Friday episode featuring a few updates on the recruiting trail, Ole Miss fall camp talk, NFL buzz and more.
Red&Blueprint Episode 10, presented by A-1 Discount Tree & Lawn Service, is back with another Friday episode featuring a few updates on the recruiting trail, Ole Miss fall camp talk, NFL buzz and more.
I open the episode with a quick look at my recent Ole Miss 2027 and 2028 big boards before Luke Dunavant joins the conversation to discuss the recruiting significance of retaining Joe Judge. We also update plans for the opening weekend of high school football, which is just two weeks away and headlined in the Ole Miss world by QB commits Keegan Croucher and Crews Jenkins squaring off.
The conversation then shifts to quick hits from the opening day of fall camp and our talks with players during the breakout session at the Manning Center.
We close with discussion of Thursday night's NFL Hall of Fame Game, former Ole Miss players in the NFL, preseason camp buzz, the Saints, the NFC South, the Vikings and more.
Thank you to everyone who has been following along with Red&Blueprint.
Red&Blueprint is proudly presented by A-1 Discount Tree & Lawn Service LLC in Jackson, Mississippi. They're a locally owned, family-run tree care company serving Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties with over 30 years of experience. They handle everything from tree removal and stump grinding to emergency storm cleanup and hedge trimming, using modern equipment to keep jobs safe, fast, and affordable. If you need tree or lawn work done, call them at (601) 981-4900 or visita1discounttree.com for a free estimate.
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**OXFORD —**People inside and around the Ole Miss program have been raving about Jaylon Braxton over the past few months.
The versatile cornerback has been turning heads since the spring, drawing whispers that the 6-foot, 190-pounder just might be one of the better-kept secrets in the Southeastern Conference.
He and his second cousin and new Ole Miss teammate, Johntay Cook II, was watching old Texas high school film — Cook played at DeSoto and Braxton played at Lone Star in Frisco — and Cook made an observation.
Ole Miss cornerback Jaylon Braxton speaks with reporters at Media Day Thursday in the Manning Center. (Photo: Petre Thomas, 247Sports)
On the screen, Cook saw an explosive, athletic, lock-down cornerback, something he didn't see on TV the last couple of years when he watched Braxton play. This summer, during OTAs, Cook said he saw Braxton moving like the younger version under Texas' Friday night lights.
"He looks good," Cook said. "He looks really, really good. I think he'll be a top corner in the league, if not the nation, for sure."
Braxton said Thursday this preseason camp is the first time he's been healthy since his freshman season at Arkansas in 2023.
"Really, physically, this is my second fall camp that I've been able to perform," Braxton said Thursday following Ole Miss' first official practice of the 2026 season.
Braxton suffered a patella fracture at Arkansas, an injury that he said "lingered." He was limited in 2024, only practicing a couple of times before playing in two games for the Razorbacks before shutting things down.
Braxton transferred to Ole Miss and recorded 24 tackles and an interception for the Rebels.
(Photo: 247Sports)
"I was playing with screws in my kneecap," Braxton said. "I probably was playing around 60-65 percent all season long. I was blessed to get through that season. The screws have been taken out now and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm blessed to be where I'm at today."
Playing without being fully healthy forced Braxton, he said, to grow mentally.
"Performing knowing you can perform better can be tough mentally but you just have to trust in God, knowing God's going to have your back and everything's going to be OK," Braxton said. "I've always been a student of the game, but I'd say last year, especially having to move from position to position, I had to really be big on the mental game. This year, I feel like it's going to be even better."
Braxton knows the safety spots in Pete Golding's defense, but this season, he's locked in at cornerback.
"We've made a lot of strides throughout the summer to be able to communicate efficiently," Braxton said. "That just keeps everything together so you're not having so many busted coverages. Last year, that was something we struggled with. And we're just competing every day with the guys. We have a lot of guys who can play, so every day is a competitive day. You have to bring your A-game."
Braxton said it's an Ole Miss defense that can be "great" if it can play up to its potential.
"That's what we try to strive for every single day," Braxton said.
Ole Miss opens the season Sept. 6 versus Louisville at Nashville's Nissan Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.