High school junior quarterback Shea Patterson has passed for 5,083 yards and 72 touchdowns with only seven interceptions the
last two seasons. COURTESY: ESPN.COM
Ole Miss has been in this position before.
Let’s go back to 2013. Defensive tackle and number one overall prospect Robert Nkemdiche was leaning toward Ole Miss on signing day. Nkemdiche didn’t commit to the Rebels until signing day. It was heavily speculated that the former top recruit would sign with the Rebels even though he visited LSU the week before signing day.
Tuesday, Ole Miss signed the number one quarterback and number three overall recruit, according to Rivals, of the 2016 recruiting class: Shea Patterson. Patterson made his decision during a ceremony at his high school.
Patterson, a five-star quarterback from Shreveport’s Calvary Academy in Louisiana, committed to Ole Miss over USC, LSU, Auburn, Michigan, Texas and many other schools.
Patterson will officially enroll at The University of Mississippi in January of 2016.
Patterson is the number one quarterback of 2016 for a reason, and has all the right tools to be the quarterback of the future for the Rebels. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, Patterson is a pro-style signal-caller with a strong arm and is capable of running the up-tempo, read option offense that Hugh Freeze brings to the table.
Even though he is considered a pocket passer, Patterson is nimble on his feet and has enough quickness to be a dual-threat under center.
In his senior year at Calvary Academy, Patterson threw 38 touchdowns and three interceptions. If high school statistics are indicative of how he’ll translate to the college level, the future looks bright for the Rebels at the quarterback position.
Patterson’s signing is the biggest sign for the quarterback position for Ole Miss since New Orleans native Eli Manning came to Oxford. Even out of high school, Manning was under-ranked by scouts, but Ole Miss built the program around him and it turned out to be a success.
Ever since Manning left, the Rebels have relied on transfers to fill the void at quarterback. Let’s name a few: Brent Schaeffer, Jevan Snead, Jeremiah Masoli, Barry Brunetti, Bo Wallace and now Chad Kelly. Transfers simply can’t be relied on every year to fill needs at certain positions.
Patterson will be the first high school quarterback since Michael Spurlock replaced Eli Manning in 2005 to start for Ole Miss.
Patterson has received some high comparisons just coming out of high school. He has been compared to Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck. The comparisons are unfair and put the weight of the world on Patterson’s shoulders, but being compared to NFL greats isn’t necessarily a bad thing either.
It is even bigger that Patterson has committed this early in the recruiting process. Patterson made his choice about where he is playing in college 352 days before National Signing Day of 2016. Patterson signing early with the Rebels gives them a chance to build a strong recruiting class around Patterson. For the next 11 months, the Rebels can recruit a potential top 10 recruiting class to the hype that Patterson brings. With the talent that Patterson embodies, other recruits will follow him to Oxford.
Five-star quarterbacks are hard to come by, especially when trying to recruit them to come to Ole Miss. Patterson may be the best offensive prospect to commit to Ole Miss since Eli Manning. If he stays committed, the 2016 class will be something special.
With Chad Kelly and sophomores Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade already on the roster, Patterson may not start right away once the 2016 season comes around. If Kelly, Buchanan or Kincade get the nod for 2016, it may be in the best interest of Ole Miss to redshirt Patterson and have him compete for the starting job as a redshirt freshman.
The system has worked in the past with Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel. Both started as redshirt freshmen and both won the Heisman Trophy. Winston would go on to lead Florida State to an undefeated record and a national title in 2013. I’m not saying that will happen for Patterson, but the success record is no fluke. Because the golden arm from Louisiana committed to the Rebels over in-state LSU and other powerhouses all over the country, 2016 is now looking stronger than ever.
