Rebels offensive line coach John Garrison just landed a future piece in the trenches for the Class of 2027, reeling in four-star Memphis product Antonio Keefer over LSU, Memphis and Ohio State.
Keefer is the No. 231 player in the country per 247Sports, the No. 21 OT and No. 10 prospect in Tennessee. He’s coming fresh off an official visit to Ole Miss this past weekend.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT KEEFER
The Southwind High School standout told Rebels247 after a visit to Oxford back in March that Ole Miss was his top school then as well, pointing toward a great relationship with the staff.
He described the program as having an NFL-like feel and said the coaching style and team culture stood out to him most at the time.
“The visit (in March) was amazing,” Keefer explained. “Everything about it just gives the NFL type of vibe and that’s what you want. I see them being a team. They let the coaches coach and the players be coachable to the point where they can just play in the event of the game…Being around the offensive linemen just brings that bond because when I’m on the field ‘okay, I’m playing for this person right next to me and we can get this done together’.”
Keefer also described himself as a God-fearing, coachable, athletic and dominant lineman who values leadership and family-like chemistry up front.
Those around the Memphis product would say the same.
Southwind High School offensive line coach DeAngelo Harris told Rebels247 early this week that he and Keefer were “tied at the hip.” Harris raved about the blue-chip prospect’s character, leadership and faith.
“His parents did a phenomenal job raising him,” Harris said. “He’s a God-fearing young man. I have never been around a kid with faith that strong; he’s a leader of men. He’s just a great team guy, a kid you don’t have to worry about off the field because you know he’s doing the right thing.
“He’s heavily involved in the community too. I couldn’t draw up a more perfect prospect — it’s bittersweet as we come upon his last season, because you don’t get guys like that every day. He’s the total package, he has it all.”
At the time of the conversation, Harris said he didn’t want to spoil Keefer’s decision day, but he offered insight into how long Ole Miss has been recruiting him.
The Southwind coach also reaffirmed a previous statement to Rebels247 about Keefer visiting with the Rebels since his ninth-grade year.
“If I’m not mistaken, Ole Miss was the first Power Five school to come up and meet with him face-to-face,” Harris said. “Come up here, watch him practice and train. Coach Garrison has been really great at complementing what we do up here at Southwind.”
FUTURE IN THE TRENCHES FOR OLE MISS
Keefer has played primarily at left tackle during his time as a varsity starter for Southwind. While 6-foot-4, 300-pound tackles aren’t the prototype across the board, it’s not a stretch to say Keefer can excel there at the next level based on the film.
The Memphis native has great footwork for his age in pass protection and has played at a very high level in Tennessee 5A football. Coach Harris told Rebels247 he trains all of his linemen to play all five positions up front and said Keefer can do whatever he puts his mind to.
“I understand it with the way the game is now, looking at guys playing across the nation,” Harris said of Keefer being recruited as an interior lineman. “I can see them moving him inside, but once again, he’s the type of player that can play all five.”
“Since coming in as a ninth grader, he asks things like ‘What can I do to improve.’ He’s always wanted to be great. He had to sit behind some upperclassmen early on, but I could only hold him back for so long. He was ready to go mid-season as a freshman and he ain’t looked back since.”
Keefer becomes just the third offensive line commit in the Rebels’ 2027 class, alongside in-state products Coderro McDaniel and Ford Wade. The class now ranks No. 19 nationally in the 247Sports recruiting rankings.
There will be a question about where Keefer ultimately fits along the front, but not right now. What Ole Miss is focused on is continuing to add size around him in the 2027 class.
Over the next two weeks, the Rebels will host four-star in-state offensive linemen Antonio Berry (Tupelo) and Caden Moss (Jackson). Both prospects have been top priorities for the staff for months, and decisions are looming.
247 PROFILE HS ATHLETIC BACKGROUND
Multi-sport athlete.
TRACK & FIELD
– State qualifier in the shot put as a 10th grader.
– Top markers include 47-9.5 in the shot and 117-2 in the discus.
FOOTBALL
– 2024: Started at LT for Southwind, which went 10-2 in Tennessee’s 5A classification.
– Andrew Ivins
