In what appeared to have an NBA free agent quality about it, a number of Mississippi's top prospects announced their college choices last week, and Ole Miss was the destination of choice.

Raleigh wide receiver Donte Moncrief and Itawamba AHS quarterback Maikhail Miller highlight a group of six verbal commitments that also included Taylorsville linebacker Marcus Mayers, Pascagoula cornerback Senquez Golson and Raleigh defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton.

Gadsden, Ala., wide receiver T.J. Worthy and Newport, Ark., cornerback Artez Brown joined the group, giving Ole Miss seven commits last week.

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt already held commitments from Winona running back Chelarvez Brown and Bay Springs athlete Cody Prewitt, giving the Rebels seven commits from Mississippi.

Locally, the Rebels are in the mix with Tupelo High School defensive lineman P.J. Jones and South Panola wide receiver Nickalos Brassell.

Verbal commitments are non-binding, and prospects can't sign scholarship papers before February, but the number of summer commits is far ahead of the pace for Ole Miss last year.

"Here's why," Nutt said. "It's because of those two Cotton Bowl championships, so many times on TV, and we have a beautiful campus, a school that can educate you with excellent professors, that FedEx Center (for academics), all those things. When recruits get on campus, especially if they're from out of state, they always say, 'I never knew it was like this.'"

Nutt said nothing has changed regarding his staff's approach to recruiting, that the summer surge is simply selling the program, much of which is done by current players.

"Some people may not think we have good recruiters, but we have a really good recruiting staff," he said. "And our players do a good job too."

Moncrief (6-3, 205) is the highest-rated of last week's haul, a Rivals four-star prospect that the website also ranks as the No. 19 receiver nationally and the No. 4 overall prospect in the state.

Miller (6-3, 235) is a strong-armed quarterback with solid footwork and mobility.

Gholson, rated the state's No. 10 prospect, also drew strong interest from Alabama and Florida State.

Rivals rates Artez Brown the No. 7 prospect in Arkansas, and he already had offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas and others.

"Our staff is working hard, and we have a real thing going right now," Nutt said.

Contact Parrish Alford at 678-1600

or parrish.alford@djournal.com