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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

HOOVER – Corey Barber’s rapid rise to becoming one of the top prospects in the state of Alabama has now led him to one of the SEC’s top football programs to start his collegiate career.

The Spain Park receiver Barber officially committed to Ole Miss for football on Friday, May 9 in a social media post from Hayes Fawcett of On3.

He reportedly chose the Rebels over Alabama, Georgia and Miami in his top four. Barber had a total of 26 offers according to On3, including from Auburn, Texas A&M, Oregon and Penn State.

Barber becomes the latest Power 4 product to come out of Spain Park High School under head coach Tim Vakakes, joining his quarterback Brock Bradley, who committed to Clemson ahead of the 2024 season.

Barber stepped up in a big way for the Jags in 2024, breaking out from a smaller role in the offense his sophomore year to become the biggest weapon in the passing game in his junior season.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver secured a county-high 1,429 receiving yards in 2024 off 74 receptions, averaging 19.3 yards per catch and 109.9 yards per game in 13 games.

Barber also finished the year with 18 touchdowns after frequently linking up with Bradley in deep passing situations to make big plays for Spain Park.

His explosivity was a key part of the Jags’ success in 2024. Spain Park finished the season 12-1, which was tied for the second-most wins in school history, while winning the region title and reaching the third round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

As a result, Barber earned First Team honors on the Class 6A All-State and All-County teams while also being named a finalist for the Shelby County Player of the Year and Class 6A Back of the Year awards. He is currently ranked by 247Sports as a three-star on the borderline of becoming a four-star and as the 14th-best player in Alabama and 47th-best player in the Class of 2026.

Now, Barber will take his talents to Oxford, Miss. to suit up for the Ole Miss Rebels, aiming to keep coach Lane Kiffin’s explosive offense going while facing some of the top players in the country in the SEC.

Before then though, Barber can look forward to a senior season where he and Spain Park are among the favorites to challenge for the Class 6A state championship.