Ole Miss lands former Mississippi State DB Tony Mitchell out of the NCAA Transfer Portal

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Former Mississippi State safety Tony Mitchell has committed to Ole Miss out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, he announced on Twitter.

Mitchell, a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023, spent one season in Starkville after transferring in from East Mississippi Community College, one of the top junior college programs in the country. Prior to that, he signed out of high school with Alabama and spent one full season with the Tide, playing in seven games as a true freshman, primarily on special teams.

He opted to enter the portal last month, announcing his intention to transfer on December 9. In his lone season at MSU, Mitchell totaled 25 tackles and four tackles for loss while playing in 11 games.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder was one of the country’s most sought after recruits three years ago. In-state programs Alabama and Auburn battled over his commitment, with the Crimson Tide holding onto him on National Signing Day and adding him to what would be Nick Saban’s final recruiting class.

Just three months later though, he was arrested and suspended in March 2023 after fleeing arrest and driving 141 miles per hour in Florida.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions; there’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Saban said at a spring practice news conference. “Gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around, what you do and who you associate with and the situations you put yourself in. It is what it is but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

He was ultimately sentenced to three years of probation with a fine and community service after pleading guilty to a charge of possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana. Mitchell was later reinstated to the team and played his true freshman season before entering the transfer portal.

The Alabaster, Alabama native ultimately landed at EMCC, where he played in seven games and notched 16 tackles while forcing and recovering one fumble. The Rebels pursued him after his year at the JUCO level, but the Bulldogs ultimately signed him as part of their 2025 recruiting class.

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, who was on staff at Alabama when they initially recruited Mitchell out of high school, will now reunite with him for a final year in Oxford.

Mitchell is rated as the No. 105 safety in the portal this cycle, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos