For any Ole Miss fan who was worrying about whether or not the top commitment in the Rebels’ 2016 recruiting class would honor his verbal, you can officially stop.
Less than two weeks ahead of National Signing Day, Hugh Freeze officially reeled in his biggest fish in this year’s recruiting pond as the football program announced via Twitter that Shea Patterson is an Ole Miss Rebel. Patterson’s signing comes 11 months after he verbally committed to Ole Miss, and six months after he was named MVP of the prestigious Elite 11 event. And 10 months after his brother quit his job as an LSU staffer to take one at Ole Miss.
Patterson has been one of the most sought after recruits in this most recent recruiting cycle. Not only does Rivals.com have the Florida prospect rated as the top quarterback in the country, but only two players in this class are rated higher -- No. 1 Rashan Gary (defensive tackle, New Jersey) and No. 2 Dexter Lawrence (defensive tackle, North Carolina).
Lawrence had previously committed to Clemson, while Gary has yet to publicly announce his choice. Patterson’s signing leaves four of Rivals’ Top 10 uncommitted: Gary, No. 5 Ben Davis (linebacker, Alabama), No. 8 Demetris Robinson (athlete, Georgia) and No. 9 Mique Juarez (linebacker, California).
The No. 4 player on the Rivals 100 list is Texas offensive lineman Greg Little, who is committed to Ole Miss as well.
The Rebels’ 2016 class is currently ranked No. 3 in the country, behind only No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 LSU.
