Javon Patterson to Ole Miss: Rebels Land 4-Star OG Prospect

Ole Miss has hit the jackpot as 4-star offensive guard Javon Patterson has announced his commitment to the Rebels, according to Ben Garrett of Scout.com:

It's a major get considering the 6'4" and 290-pound Petal High School (Mississippi) product was one of the nation's most sought-after interior linemen in the class of 2015. He ranks No. 50 overall in the nation, is the No. 2 guard prospect and the No. 2 recruit from the state of Mississippi.

Patterson was hotly pursued by SEC schools and received scholarship offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, among others. He told Matt Scalici of AL.com at the Birmingham Nike Football Training Camp that he's weighing offers from two conferences and and plans on making all of his visits before a decision near the end of the year:

"I'm talking to most of the SEC schools and a couple of ACC schools as well," said Patterson, who claims 11 scholarship offers currently. "I'm planning on making my decision sometime in November. I plan on taking all of my officials before I do that."

Before the interviews, Patterson had put his strong skill set on display for observers. Player personnel director Todd Huber captured this bit:

That skill set has Patterson looking like an instant starter at the collegiate level as long as he continues to progress on his current trajectory. He's a bit light for an interior lineman, but his frame allows for plenty of bulk. There's little doubt he should be able to fill out and become a 300-pound player in the coming years.

Simple technique flaws such as pad level and rolling his hips to transfer power can be fixed rather quickly, but the negatives essentially end there. Patterson understands schemes, leverage and angles while showing a good foot speed and power to drive defenders off the line. This will make him an impact run-blocker right way.

While he likely won't develop into an edge player at tackle, Patterson has the skill set required to thrive at the next level and beyond as a guard who can both hold his own in pass protection and bulldoze his way to the second level in the run game.

Expect Patterson to compete for meaningful playing time from Day 1 at Ole Miss with the potential to be an anchor on the interior for several years.

Note: All recruiting info courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings unless otherwise stated.