How Tony Bridges' Flip from Auburn to Ole Miss Impacts Tigers and Rebels

Ole Miss delivered a strong message to SEC recruiting rivals for the second time in 24 hours Friday morning, flipping top-rated junior college cornerback Tony Bridges from Auburn, according to Ben Garrett of Scout.com:

The Rebels are officially on a roll when it comes to the 2015 class, and that momentum has come at the expense of Auburn. Ole Miss edged out the Tigers on Thursday for 4-star offensive lineman Javon Patterson.

The Petal High School prospect, rated No. 1 overall in Mississippi, per 247Sports, and No. 2 nationally among guards, per 247Sports' composite, left an Auburn hat on the table at his announcement ceremony. Now, Bridges has decided to trade his in for one with an Ole Miss logo.

The 6'2", 185-pound playmaker initially committed to the Tigers in February and seemed steadfast in his decision during recent months. He spent an official visit at Auburn last month and watched the team defeat LSU.

That trip appeared to solidify Bridges' pact with the program just six weeks ago.

"I loved it, man. I loved it. It's a great place," he told Justin Hokanson of 247Sports (subscription required)."They're ready for me to come. They're anxious, they want me on campus."

Instead, it appears any future trips to Auburn will take place on the visitor's sidelines. Bridges, a 2013 graduate from Hattiesburg High School in Mississippi, found his preferred fit in Oxford:

Rated sixth overall among JUCO recruits in 247Sports' composite rankings, Bridges stars at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He is considered the premier cornerback prospect in this JUCO class.

The loss leaves Auburn looking for an adequate replacement at the position. The Tigers' current class is rather scant on defensive backfield additions, so pressure is on Gus Malzahn and company to search elsewhere less than three months shy of national signing day.

The cornerback market is quickly drying up in SEC territory, so the best route for Auburn could be to seek out a flip of its own. The presence of Bridges—viewed as a plug-and-play talent—may have deterred high school seniors from fully considering the Tigers, so relationship dynamics with certain recruits could change moving ahead.

Auburn now holds 19 commitments in a class that's dropped to 10th in 247Sports' composite rankings.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss has soared up six spots since Thursday morning. The additions of Bridges and Patterson have pushed the Rebels to 18th nationally among 2015 classes.

Head coach Hugh Freeze has managed to stockpile considerable secondary talent during this cycle, including Tennessee cornerbacks Cameron Ordway and Ugo Amadi.

As Ole Miss recruiting coordinator Branden Wenzel notes, it's always nice to bring in one of your own:

"

Love it when Mississippi Bass decide to jump out of other boats and stay at home with @OleMissFB #TheSip #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/jJka85RqGv

— Branden Wenzel (@CoachBwenz) November 21, 2014"

The Rebels have now netted 15 pledges and will continue to seek out talent as signing day approaches. Several big fish remain out there for the taking, including Florida defensive end CeCe Jefferson and Texas wide receiver Damarkus Lodge.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.