Jeremiah Masoli Admitted to Ole Miss: How the SEC Landscape Just Changed

According to published reports Wednesday evening, The University of Mississippi has admitted former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli into graduate school.

He will be eligible to play for the Rebels this Fall.

Masoli plead guilty to a misdemeanor burglary charge in March of this year and was arrested on a possession of marijuana charge in June. He was subsequently dismissed from Oregon's football roster. 

For Ole Miss, adding the star quarterback changes their expectations in conference play. The Rebels last week were picked to finish last by college football journalists at SEC Media Week in Birmingham.

Ole Miss also recently lost quarterback Raymond Cotton, who quit the team on Saturday, leaving the Rebels with only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. 

If everything goes according to plan in Oxford, Masoli brings dual-threat skills to the Mississippi team. The 5'11" signal caller is the kind of player that can change a game on his own, something that Ole Miss will need after losing Jevan Snead to the NFL draft. 

There is still some legal red tape that Masoli will have to get through before he can hit the practice field. The University would have to request a waiver from Oregon, and a judge would have to determine that moving to Mississippi would not violate Masoli's probation. 

More details are yet to come on this story, but with Mississippi's admittance of the troubled Pac-10 champion quarterback, the biggest step has apparently been taken. 

If Masoli does indeed hit the field in the SEC this fall, there are many matchups that will instantly receive more attention. On October 23rd, the Rebels visit Arkansas in a key SEC West battle. If Masoli can face-off with consensus First-Team All-SEC QB Ryan Mallett, it would be the kind of matchup college football fans dream of. 

For those of us who love SEC football, this is exciting news. And another reminder of why the off-season is so suspenseful.