Miles

Battle

Per Pro Football Focus, Battle (6'3/195) has played 185 snaps as a defensive back, recording nine tackles and five pass breakups. He has allowed just four receptions for 35 yards on 13 targets and a 40.2 quarterback rating when targeted. In Week 8 against LSU, Battle was called on to work as a receiver, and ran 13 routes while seeing one targeted which he hauled in for 18 yards. Ole Miss has dealt with injuries to its wide receiver corps all season, which include injuries to Jonathan Mingo (ankle) and Braylon Sanders (lower body).

Battle (6'4/198) entered his name into the portal in mid-November, but he’s since had a change of heart. The redshirt freshman is one of three players who have removed their name from the transfer portal since Lane Kiffin was hired as head coach, with QB Grant Tisdale and WR Demarcus Gregory being the others. In ten games this season, Battle caught two passes for 20 yards.

Battle (6'4/199) joins teammate Demarcus Gregory in the apparent transfer effort. Battle is no longer participating in team practices and probably won’t be again any time soon. It was reported before the season that Battle would earn a regular spot in the receiver corps, but he has only caught two passes this season. His frustration is plenty warranted. Battle will have three remaining seasons of eligibility.

The Rebels are obviously replacing a truly special wide receiver group this season, but the next batch of players are strong, too. Elijah Moore and Braylon Edwards are expected to lead the way with Battle (6'4/199) operating as a third receiving option. The four-star receiver should be a deep threat and red zone option on the perimeter.

Losing A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, DaMarkus Lodge, and Dawson Knox is as painful as it gets, so Ole Miss will be trotting out three relatively inexperienced receivers in 2019. Sophomore Elijah Moore will handle slot duties, but there are snaps to be had on the perimeter. Junior Braylon Sanders will take up one of the outside spots and Battle (6'4/199), a former four-star, should round out the starting offense. Ole Miss needs to see signs that Battle and redshirt freshman QB Matt Corral can grow together as the team eyes future success.

“Houston is doing really good right now. A lot of us like them. We like that they’re trying hard to keep all the Houston talent in Houston,” Battle said. For the time being, the Cougars and Spartans hold the lead in the 6-foot-4, 178-pounder’s heart, but we remain in the early stages of his recruitment and that could be subject to change. Battle believes that Texas A&M and LSU could both toss him offers soon.

“I want to see if during the season if they’re going to be using their receivers like they have during spring,” Battle said, adding that "[the coaching staff] want[s] to show me that they’re planning on using the receivers as much as the running backs.” The 6-foot-4, 178-pounder is also eyeing Oregon and TCU. He will be releasing a top-10 list on May 30. In addition to the Tigers, Ducks and Horned Frogs, Rivals recruiting analyst Nick Krueger tags Baylor, Houston, Nebraska and Ole Miss as potential names that might land on that list. Battle ranks as Rivals’ No. 53 wideout for the 2018 cycle.

Battle commits to Ole Miss over Oregon, and this could be considered a minor upset. He visited both schools recently, and many analysts believed he’d sign on with the Ducks. Barring a change of heart in the next 48 hours, that won’t happen. He ranks 56th on the list of wideouts by 247 Sports, and makes their top 500 prospect list as well. He could be an immediate contributor to the Ole Miss offense, and he also reportedly excels as a returner. A good get for Matt Luke and company, to be sure.