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It’s the 2013 cycle all over again. This is another impressive recruiting class for Ole Miss on a national scale and one that can set the foundation for the Rebels to take that next step.
Perhaps no other commit is as important as five-star quarterback Shea Patterson (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academy), who was the most impressive signal caller in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and immediately makes the position a big strength for the Rebels overall.
This class also is deep on both lines of scrimmage and at wide receiver. There are other top targets out there and if the Rebels close with a flurry, this class will finish ranked higher than the 2013 group, which ended up No. 8.
Current rank: No. 3 SEC, No. 6 Nationally (247Sports Composite rankings)
Top commit: Greg Little, OT, Allen (Texas). Like Laremy Tunsil before him in that 2013 class, Little opted to leave his state, spurn other major suitors and roll to Oxford. Little has elite size and athleticism and is the type of talent (just like Tunsil) who can step into a starting role from the moment he gets to campus. This was a major, major recruiting victory in the Lone Star State for the Rebels.
Sleeper: Tariqious Tisdale, DE, Lexington (Tenn.). The 6-foot-5, 247-pound Tisdale is an excellent evaluation by the Ole Miss staff and the type of jumbo athlete that Rebels defensive line coach Chris Kiffin can develop into a high-performing SEC-level player (like Marquise Haynes). Ole Miss also has quite the track record of finding under-the-radar talent from West Tennessee. Everyone remember Patrick Willis?
Quick take: This is another outstanding effort for Freeze and the Rebels and given the amount of talent on both lines of scrimmage, plus the arrival of an elite quarterback in Patterson, it’s the type of class that can take the Ole Miss program to even loftier heights after back-to-back New Years Six bowls.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
