Van Jefferson was one of the most-acclaimed wide receivers in the 2015 recruiting class. He was a national recruit and basically every school wanted him.
Jefferson, from Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood, in the Nashville suburbs, ended up signing with Ole Miss over Georgia, Michigan and Oklahoma. He caught 154 passes, with 27 TDs, in his final two seasons of high school and thought he could make an immediate impact with the Rebels.
Instead, Ole Miss coaches decided to redshirt him.
At the time, Jefferson was surprised and hurt, but with the help of his family – “Don’t let it kill you,” he said they told him – the got through the redshirt season.