Ole Miss' Best Recruiter: 5-Star QB Commit Shea Patterson

As good of a quarterback as he is, Shea Patterson may have a future in persuasive speaking.

When it comes to selling the Ole Miss program, few in the 2016 class have done it better than Patterson, the Rebels' 5-star commit and the nation's top-ranked overall quarterback. He was the ultimate salesman at The Opening, and he's continuing to give his pitches at IMG Academy to a long list of talented players.

For Patterson, it's all about selling the dream.

"I'm just telling them this is going to be a journey," said Patterson, ranked No. 4 overall in the 2016 class. "I think we can do something really special at Ole Miss and bring something back that hasn't been done."

Ole Miss claims three national championships in its 122-year history, the last coming in 1962. Patterson would love to be a part of the class that brings a national title back to Oxford after five decades.

The 2016 class, on paper, has potential to get it done. Ole Miss, with 19 commitments, currently has a top-10 national class with eight players who are at least 4-star caliber. Patterson is the only 5-star prospect, but he is very high on athletes such as wide receiver DeKaylin Metcalf, tight end Octavious Cooley, offensive tackle Bryce Mathews and running back Justin Connor on offense.

The Rebels still have room to add elite-level talent, and Patterson has been targeting a few players. Among them are 5-star tight end Isaac Nauta and 5-star offensive tackle Greg Little. Nauta, the nation's top-ranked tight end and Patterson's teammate at IMG, has schools like Georgia, Michigan, USC and TCU high on his list, but Patterson feels Ole Miss is a team in the running.

"I'm really close with him. I know he has so many options, but we have a great relationship," Patterson said of Nauta. "I think it's a good possibility with him."

Little has Ole Miss as one of his top-five schools. Deontay Anderson, 4-star safety, and 4-star athlete Devin White also have the Rebels high on their short lists.

One player to watch is 4-star wide receiver Drake Davis. A high school teammate of Patterson's, Davis—who has Ole Miss in the lead of his recruiting, ahead of LSU and Texas A&M—will always have a special connection with Patterson, as the two linked up in Texas last week to record Patterson's 100th career touchdown pass against DeSoto High School.

"That was awesome. I actually didn't even know I had two more to 100 until my dad reminded me [last Friday]," said Patterson, who started his high school career playing in south Texas. "To get [No. 100] and being back in Texas was awesome. To throw it to Drake made it that much more special. Every time we click, it's an envision of the future."

Davis would be a great fit in that offense because of his chemistry with Patterson. He's also an outstanding athlete, and he showed that athleticism against DeSoto with one of the best plays of the early 2015 high school season.

Patterson said he's not the kind of recruit who will pressure any athlete, but he knows who he wants and who can help the program in the future.

Now it's just a matter of doing his part to help seal the deal for those considered targets.

"I know they love Ole Miss, but I know they've all got a lot of options," Patterson said. "I can see all of them in the red and blue the next few years, though."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter @DamonSayles.