In January, Ole Miss extended an offer to Shavezz Dixon, and over the weekend, the Rebels closed the deal. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound offensive tackle out of Lee County High School in Leesburg, Ga. is now committed to Lane Kiffin’s program.
Dixon holds close to 20 offers, with programs like Arkansas, Texas A&M and others pushing hard. But after his first visit to Oxford for the Arkansas game, he knew he had found the right fit.
“I loved it on my visit,” Dixon told Rivals. “That visit was key in my decision. I felt welcomed, they made me feel like a top priority, and they treated me and my family so well. The atmosphere was amazing—the crowd was great, and it just felt like home.”
A big factor in his commitment was offensive line coach John Garrison. Since the Rebels offered in January, they have built a strong relationship, and that, along with his experience, was key.
“Coach Garrison is a great offensive line coach with so much knowledge of the game. He actually reminds me a lot of my high school coach, and that was big in my decision. He likes how I play physical and nasty on the offensive line, and he was really excited when I told him I was committing on Wednesday.”
Seeing the team, getting a feel for the environment, and learning more about the culture helped him make a decision earlier than he was planning.
“I really like how Ole Miss takes care of its players, both on and off the field,” Dixon said. “It was great to be there on the visit and see how they do things. The coaches are great and they are the kind of guys I want to play for.”
The Georgia native plans to return to Oxford this weekend to be back around the program he now calls home.