Shea Patterson, one of the top recruits for the class of 2016, has committed to Ole Miss to play for Hugh Freeze and the Rebels. A high school junior, Patterson has received offers from 24 schools, 20 from Power 5 conference universities, including 5 from SEC schools.
Patterson is a composite 5-star recruit, as determined by 247Sports. 247's regular rating has him ranked as a 4-star recruit. ESPN has Patterson ranked as a 4-star, while Rivals has him listed as a 5-star as well.
There is a slight discrepency over Patterson's exact skill set, with different recruiting services sorting him in different ways. ESPN and 247Sports have him listed as Pocket Passer/Pro-Style quarterback, while he is listed as a dual-threat QB by Rivals.
The recruitment process of the Shreveport, Louisiana, native has not come without controvesy. It has been known that Patterson was interested in playing for his brother, whom it is speculated was just hired by Ole Miss as a part of their coaching staff. According to Bruce Feldman on Twitter, Patterson is "completely shutting down" his recruitment.
Patterson is planning on enrolling early, according to 247Sports. This likely indicates that he is in line to be the starting quarterback for the Rebels once the 2016 season begins. Current quarterback Bo Wallace is graduating from Ole Miss this year.
Following his announcement, Patterson quickly expressed his excitement via Twitter.