[1/13/05]Sean Gibbs won’t take his official visit to Ole Miss until the end of January. When he gets to Oxford, however, he probably won’t need a tour guide.

Gibbs’ cousin, Paul Winfield, played at Ole Miss in the early 1990s. Several other family members went to school there. And Gibbs himself is a lifelong Rebels fan.

The strong family connections have put Ole Miss in front for the future football services of Gibbs, the Vicksburg High tight end who is the most sought after player from Warren County’s 2005 recruiting class.

“They’ve always been a favorite since I was young,” Gibbs said, adding that he hasn’t been put off by the school’s recent coaching change. “With the new coach, they dropped off my list. But coach O’ (Ed Orgeron) sent the linebackers coach to visit.”

Ole Miss has the edge right now, but it’s not the only school Gibbs is considering. He has a visit to Memphis scheduled for Jan. 21, a week before his trip to Ole Miss. West Virginia is also in the running, and several Southeastern Conference schools have shown some interest.

“It’s mind boggling. You can just go crazy thinking about the schools you grew up watching,” Gibbs said. “You have to sit down and make a decision. What’s helped me is I’ve had people that have been in that situation before.”

Gibbs isn’t standing still while he weighs his options. Tonight, he’ll play in the first Max Emfinger High School All-American Bowl Classic. The game, which is put on by the highly regarded recruiting guru and features prospects from around the country, will kickoff at 7 p.m. at Independence Stadium in Shreveport.

Emfinger rated Gibbs as one of the top 10 tight ends in the country last summer. In two seasons as a starter, the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder caught 28 passes for 451 yards and five touchdowns. He was a second-team all-state selection this season.

“It’s the first annual one, and pretty soon it’ll be bigger than the U.S. Army game. I’ll be able to say I played in the first one,” Gibbs said. “I don’t think it’ll hurt anything, because as far as being picked it’s an honor.”

Several other Vicksburg High players are also getting looked at by four-year schools.

Cornerback Marcus Harris is receiving interest from Northwestern State in Louisiana, while wide receiver Shannon Tillman has a visit scheduled to Alcorn State and has gotten interest from Samford, Arkansas State and Southern Miss.

Tillman led the area in receiving in 2004, with 32 catches for 431 yards and three touchdowns. Harris had 32 tackles, a team-high five interceptions and two forced fumbles.