Hugh Freeze secured a verbal commit from one of 2016’s best high school prospects on Tuesday, with five-star quarterback Shea Patterson pledging to play his college ball at Ole Miss.
Patterson, a native of Shreveport, La., is rated by Rivals as the No. 3 overall prospect in 2016’s recruiting class. He held offers from just about every major college program, including Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
The 6-foot-2, 191-pound Patterson plans to enroll early at Ole Miss, and he announced his decision in a ceremony at his high school -- seemingly good signs that he’ll stick to his verbal commitment for the next 10 months.
The Clarion-Ledger’s Hugh Kellenberger has a good rundown of how Patterson fits in Ole Miss’ plans, but from a perception standpoint, he’s a big get for Ole Miss. After landing Robert Nkemdiche and the nation’s No. 7 recruiting class in 2013, the Rebels recruiting class rankings slipped to No. 19 in 2014 and No. 21 in 2015 -- solid, but not elite, groups, both without a five-star recruit.
In the SEC West -- which is still college football’s best division, despite its lackluster showing in bowl season -- Ole Miss needs to continue to feed off its recruiting momentum to keep pace with Alabama, Auburn, LSU, etc. Landing Patterson is a good sign of the health of Hugh Freeze’s program, even if he’s at the earliest a year and a half away from playing his first down of college ball.
