Is Michigan a Legit Threat to Flip 4-Star WR Van Jefferson from Ole Miss?

Ole Miss' recruiting class seems to be taking hits at the most inopportune time. On Monday, the Rebels lost 4-star offensive tackle Drew Richmond.

Is Van Jefferson next? Particularly with all that has happened in the last week?

Many Ole Miss fans will give an emphatic "no." Many Michigan would respond with a resounding "yes."

This is why Wednesday is so important for both schools. Jefferson will sign a letter of intent with one of them, and even though the 4-star receiver is an Ole Miss pledge, there are those who believe the commitment will be short-lived after an official visit to Michigan over the weekend.

Jefferson committed to Ole Miss on Jan. 25 after an unofficial visit to Oxford, according to Barton Simmons of 247Sports. Once a Georgia commit, Jefferson described Ole Miss to Simmons as "a home environment." He was also excited about the receiver talent surrounding him, guys who could push him to be a better player.

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Going to play down there at Ole Miss with Quincy [Adeboyejo] and Laquon [Treadwell] and Evan [Engram], those guys are going to be something special. I always wanted to go down there, but my dad had reservations about it. He's on board with it now. He told me he wants what's best for me. I picked it, so it's time to get rolling.

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All of that, of course, was before Jefferson picked up an offer from Michigan three days later. Jefferson had already taken official visits to Georgia (Dec. 12), Ole Miss (Dec. 14) and Oklahoma (weekend of Jan. 16). Shortly after receiving Michigan's offer, he took an official visit to Michigan, according to Steve Lorenz of 247Sports.

Jefferson is quite familiar with the Michigan atmosphere, as Van's father, Shawn, currently the wide receivers coach for the Tennessee Titans, was the receivers coach for the Detroit Lions from 2005 to 2012. The Jeffersons lived outside of Detroit during that span.

In addition to seeing the Michigan campus, chatting with new coach Jim Harbaugh and taking in the atmosphere of Ann Arbor, Van also had a chance to reconnect with old friends. He attended St. Mary's Preparatory in Orchard Lake, Michigan, before moving and starring for Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Fast forward to Tuesday.

Rebels fans are hoping to see Jefferson sign a letter of intent Wednesday, while Wolverines fans hope the 4-star receiver flips at the last minute.

One of these programs will get a streamlined but talented athlete who understands what it takes to be an elite athlete on and off the field. Jefferson's father, before getting into coaching, played 13 seasons in the NFL. At 6'2" and 183 pounds, Jefferson has good size and speed, and he runs routes like a polished college athlete.

He will be an asset at the next level, which is why Ole Miss wants to keep him in the SEC and Michigan wants him to test the Big Ten waters.

Damon Sayles is a national recruiting analyst with Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon on Twitter: @DamonSayles.