“We followed a well-thought-out plan to position ourselves for the first 12-team Playoff,” said Walker Jones, executive director of The Grove Collective. “This effort began two years ago.”

This fall marked the culmination of their efforts, with over $10 million invested in building a talent-rich roster, including high-profile transfers. According to Jones, this investment likely places Ole Miss in the upper half of SEC programs.

Though ranked No. 18, Ole Miss still has a shot at reaching their goal. However, their 29-26 overtime loss to LSU on October 12 has significantly complicated their path, with No. 2 Georgia still on their schedule. This Saturday, the Rebels will face Oklahoma at home.

Since the NCAA was forced by the courts in 2021 to allow athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), NIL has become the primary driver in college sports’ competitive recruiting landscape. School-affiliated collectives, like Ole Miss’, have taken charge of managing this opportunity, with Ole Miss standing out for its effective use of the transfer portal.

Now, even with the evolving landscape following the House v. NCAA settlement, and despite Ole Miss’ two losses, it might seem easy to claim the investment in the roster was wasted. But Jones remains resolute, giving the same response to doubters that he has shared with donors during his fundraising efforts.

“I can’t guarantee we’ll make the Playoff,” Jones said before the LSU game. “But I know for sure that we won’t if we don’t invest in a plan and stick to it.”

A former Ole Miss linebacker and team captain from 1994 to 1997, Jones worked as Under Armour’s director of sports marketing and became an agent before leading Ole Miss’ NIL collective in 2022.

To engage the fan base and clarify Ole Miss’ NIL strategy, Jones convinced athletic director Keith Carter to hold a joint press conference with coaches in the fall of 2022. Even though they gave the SEC a heads-up, Carter still received a warning call from the conference for this bold approach.

Carter explained that Ole Miss’ aggressiveness is a strategic necessity to remain competitive with programs that have bigger budgets and more traditional success. “NIL and compliance are all about risk management now,” Carter said. “We’ve taken calculated risks, and it’s helped level the playing field somewhat.”

Jones fostered strong relationships with high-level donors while also launching a subscription platform, allowing fans to contribute smaller amounts.

On the field, quarterback Jaxson Dart showed promise as a sophomore first-year starter. The momentum behind an expanded Playoff system made Ole Miss’ dreams more tangible. When the 12-team Playoff was confirmed for 2024, the Rebels’ aspirations grew even stronger.

“We decided with coach Kiffin and others, ‘If we want to be in that 12-team Playoff, we need to start now,’” Jones said. “It wasn’t all-in or Playoff-or-bust, but we took a purposeful approach to building this year’s team with that goal in mind.”

Constructing a strong roster requires managing high school recruiting, player retention, and the transfer portal, all while working closely with the coaching staff. Coach Lane Kiffin agreed to stay mostly uninvolved in the financial negotiations with players, leaving The Grove Collective to handle those decisions. The collective uses its own valuation system based on player positions and team needs to assess players’ worth.

In 2023, Ole Miss secured the nation’s No. 2 transfer class, continuing their success from 2022 when they also ranked second. Highlighting these transfers was Louisiana Tech’s Tre Harris, who led the nation in receiving before being sidelined by an injury.

In 2024, the Rebels brought in 25 more transfers, claiming the top transfer class. Key recruits included five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen from Texas A&M and Florida edge rusher Princely Umanmielen.

While the collective initially spent less on retaining players, that changed as top contributors sought higher compensation. Recruiting through the transfer portal required quick assessments, with team leaders like Dart, Harris, and JJ Pegues involved in vetting potential transfers.

The NIL landscape is still evolving, with the transfer portal becoming more nuanced. Star running back Quinshon Judkins, for example, left for Ohio State after two standout seasons at Ole Miss.

In two years, Jones and The Grove Collective have made a significant impact. Even former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze tried to recruit Jones to Auburn to run their collective. In September, Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek acknowledged Ole Miss’ success, urging Arkansas fans to follow their example.

The Grove Collective now has 6,000 paid subscribers, many of whom had never contributed to Ole Miss before the NIL era and are under 35 years old.

Despite setbacks like the loss to Kentucky and the defeat at LSU, Ole Miss remains committed to building rosters that can compete nationally and make the Playoff regularly. “This isn’t a one-and-done situation,” Carter said. “If we don’t make the Playoff this year, we’re just getting started.”

As the House v. NCAA settlement progresses, changes to roster management and NIL rules may take effect by 2025. Some collectives could be brought in-house or form partnerships with schools, while others will remain independent. The NCAA aims to monitor “true market value” by requiring NIL deals over $600 to be vetted.

Revenue sharing from the settlement could exceed $20 million next year, and as media rights deals grow, so will that figure. Schools will have different capacities for additional NIL spending, with some able to contribute tens of millions, while others may have more limited resources.

Jones and The Grove Collective are determined to ensure that Ole Miss stays among the programs with the strongest financial backing.