Feb. 2, Tee Shepard had this to say about committing to continue his FBS football career at Mississippi State.
“I told them I’m a Dawg,” Shepard told Rivals.com. “They’re all excited. The players, the coaches and everybody are just excited. It’s crazy. The coaches were telling me all week about the same two things: football and academics. That’s what I’m happy about. Everybody is just excited right now.”
Three days later? Yeah, not so much.
In an abrupt turnaround, Bulldogs’ in-state rival Ole Miss announced the JUCO cornerback as part of its 2014 recruiting class Wednesday. Why Shepard switched his commitment from the Bulldogs to the Rebels on signing day is unclear at this point.
Shepard had spent the 2013 season at Holmes Community College.
Notre Dame announced back in March of 2012 that Shepard was no longer enrolled at the school, two months after he enrolled as an early signee as part of Notre Dame’s 2012 recruiting class. The stated reason for Shepard’s decision at the time was the desire to be back closer to his family in Fresno.
After leaving South Bend, Shepard considered transferring to Fresno State as well as USC.
Shepard, a four- or five-star player depending on the recruiting service, was rated as the No. 4 corner in the country in the Class of 2012 and the No. 11 player at any position in the state of California by Rivals.com.