College Football: Jeremiah Masoli Is Now the Best SEC QB

How often does a school get the opportunity to bring in a quarterback who is an established Heisman Trophy candidate one month before the season begins?

Former Oregon Duck quarterback Jeremiah Masoli posted on his website he intends to take up an offer from coach Houston Nutt to be a walk-on for the Mississippi Rebels.

He can play immediately under NCAA rules because he has earned his undergraduate degree and is enrolling in graduate school. The runaway Duck will work towards his Master's degree in parks management.

Masoli was set for a shot at the Heisman Trophy this season if he had remained in Eugene. Now the question becomes, will he win the Heisman Trophy in Oxford?

“I am very excited about this opportunity and very thankful Ole Miss is giving me this chance,” according to Masoli. He further added he wished to "thank Coach Nutt for believing in me.”

The 5'11" 227-pound former Duck is a powerful force on the football field. He instantly will challenge last year's Heisman winner, Mark Ingram of Alabama, as the best runner in the SEC.

When Jeremiah Masoli speaks, others listen. A California native of Samoan descent, it is said that Masoli never tires and is stronger on the final play of the game than on the first.

If he can learn the Mississippi playbook in the next month, he will have an an impact on who wins the highly competitive SEC West.

Masoli guided Oregon to the Pac-10 title and the Rose Bowl last season by throwing for 2,147 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 668 yards and 13 touchdowns.

When Masoli brings his "Street Fightin' Man" personality to the SEC he will be followed by questions concerning his personal life, including why is he no longer the quarterback of the Oregon Ducks?

Coach Chip Kelly suspended Masoli for the 2010 season due to a police incident involving his role in stealing a guitar and two computers from a fraternity house. He pleaded down to a charge of misdemeanor burglary.

He continued to practice with the team during spring drills and was expected to redshirt, returning in 2011 as a Heisman Trophy front-runner.

But the month of June brought about the separation of Masoli from the Oregon program. Coach Kelly was forced to dismiss him from the squad after he was cited for possession of marijuana during a traffic stop.

Masoli could still enroll at another school should he change his mind but maintains  he’ll arrive in Oxford on Wednesday to begin conditioning workouts.

Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt cannot talk about recruiting Masoli under NCAA rules at this time but found an opening on the Rebel roster recently when backup quarterback Raymond Cotton left the team.

The question arises, does the entire SEC suffer from bringing in a troubled player on top of all the investigations concerning several league schools? 

Masoli seems the perfect fit for Nutt’s Wild Rebel offense but with his past problems is he too good of a fit for the SEC? This episode could be the straw that breaks the camel's back in the never-ending public relations disasters concerning the conference.

From his viewpoint, Masoli is contrite and thankful just to be a survivor who can learn from his past actions and hope for the opportunity to set his life in order.

“A big shout-out to everyone who has given me strength and support during the last few months,” Masoli has stated.

Let's hope he takes advantage of his second chance to set his life in order.

And an SEC West division title would not hurt his reputation at all.