Shea Patterson to Ole Miss: Rebels Land 5-Star QB Prospect

Ole Miss won't have to worry about the quarterback position for the next few years after securing the commitment of one of the top signal-callers in the 2016 recruiting class.  

According to Ben Garrett of Scout.com, Shea Patterson will be heading to Oxford:

Patterson is the No. 3-ranked pro-style quarterback and 17th-best player overall in 247Sports' composite rankings. He's one of only three QBs to earn the 5-star designation on the site.

One of Patterson's biggest drawbacks is his size. At 6'2" and 195 pounds, he lacks the ideal height for the position. As hard as he works, he's not going to make himself any taller.

A few years ago, that might have been a bigger concern. However, Russell Wilson and Drew Brees are the two most prominent examples of QBs who've thrived despite being undersized. They're a testament to the fact that talent shines through no matter what.

And Patterson has talent in abundance.

He's very mobile in the pocket, able to scramble and create some more time for himself. That skill will allow him to thrive in just about any offensive scheme.

Patterson truly shines when coiling back and releasing a perfect spiral. ESPN.com's Derek Tyson captured two Vines, the first in June 2014 and the second the following January, which demonstrate just how polished Patterson is:

Bleacher Report's Tyler Donohue also praised Patterson's arm strength, which he felt was one of the reasons Patterson could emerge as the top QB in 2016:

Patterson had originally committed to Arizona before ultimately walking back on that decision in July 2014.

"When I went on a visit to another college, I couldn't really enjoy myself; now I can," he said at the time, per James Smith of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. "He (Rich Rodriguez) was glad that I called him and not anyone else. I called him because he was the one that offered me in the beginning. He told me they are going to continue to recruit me."

Upon un-tethering himself from the Wildcats, Patterson quickly became one of the most sought-after players in the country. The list of schools to offer him a scholarship was a who's who of college football elite.

Hugh Freeze and his staff deserve a ton of credit for building the most compelling case and selling Patterson on Ole Miss.  

There's no limit to what Patterson can accomplish in college.

All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports.