Ole Miss Lands Auburn CB Jay Crawford and Baylor LB Keaton Thomas in Early Portal Push Under New Coach Pete Golding

Overview

• On3 reports that Auburn cornerback Jay Crawford and Baylor linebacker Keaton Thomas have committed to Ole Miss via the transfer portal.
• Jay Crawford started 18 games at Auburn and earned SEC All-Freshman honors, and he is rated a four-star transfer and No. 31 overall in On3’s portal rankings.
• Keaton Thomas arrives after two seasons at Baylor following a JUCO stint, earning All-Big 12 second-team recognition and recording 99 tackles last season per Yahoo Sports.
• On3 ranks Thomas as a three-star transfer, No. 245 overall and No. 16 among linebackers, projecting him as an immediate depth and experience boost.
• The moves come as Pete Golding takes over the program during Ole Miss’s College Football Playoff run, reinforcing a focus on defensive upgrades, while some outlets list conflicting multi-season tackle totals for Thomas.