To say the firing of Matt Luke is not going over well with Ole Miss players is an understatement of epic proportions.
The move has put the program in flux as it is now being reported that several players are considering leaving the team and a top 2020 recruit has already decommitted from the program.
Matt Luke firing
When the University of Mississippi Athletics Director Keith Carter held a meeting Sunday night to let the team know that they would be parting ways with Matt Luke, it did not go over well.
The Clarion-Ledger reported that Carter’s address didn’t resonate with every player. In fact, several players walked out before Carter was through speaking.
Junior offensive lineman Chandler Tuitt said afterward that “half the team” is talking about leaving the program soon. Tuitt indicated that if the entire coaching staff is dismissed along with Luke, he doesn’t believe many players are going to stay with the team.
An Ole Miss OL reportedly said that "half the team" is talking about leaving after the school fired head coach Matt Luke https://t.co/srdqZni7Sw
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 2, 2019
“But you realize, there’s no program without players,” Tuitt said. “You’re basing stuff off the fans. But we don’t care about the fans that much. I’m going to be honest. We’re here for the coach. We love football. If you don’t want to support us, that’s just your fault.”
Hopefully, for the sake of the program, things will calm down a bit. However, things look like they are only going to get worse before they get better.
Kyjuan Herndon changes his mind
You knew this would happen. The firing of Matt Luke is going to have a trickle-down effect on his recruits and already one key player has changed his mind about heading to Ole Miss.
2020 running back recruit Kyjuan Herndon announced his decommitment from the Rebel program on Monday.
Recruitment Open @YancyPorter and @Rebels247 Thank you for everything!! pic.twitter.com/bqVAKUHtIZ
— Kyjuan Herndon (@herndon_kyjuan) December 2, 2019
The Jacksonville, Florida native originally committed to Ole Miss on March 24. Herndon is listed as a three-star prospect and the No. 117 athlete in the nation for the 2020 recruiting cycle, according to 247 Sports.
The Rebels now have just a total of 22 commitments heading into the 2020 season. Unfortunately, it seems likely that others may follow in Herndon’s footsteps with the program’s coaching staff up in the air.